


We Kiss in a Shadow

by GuardianOfTheCards



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Catboys, M/M, Moyashi, NECO, Querido, Yullen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-17
Updated: 2013-12-20
Packaged: 2018-01-05 00:17:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 46,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1087339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuardianOfTheCards/pseuds/GuardianOfTheCards
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Allen and Yuu swore to be mates when they met in a Rejection Center for unsellable NECOs. Years later, people are still hunting them, trying to seperate them, and trying to collar them. But these two, along with their friends - Lavi and Tyki- plan on showing everyone what being true to your mate means. </p><p>After all, mates are for life. <3</p><p>* Updated and Edited: I originally wrote this when "lime" and "lemon" were legitimate fanfic terms - ohmygod. I'm old. This fic needed an update hahaha. *</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. September Song

**Chapter 1 : September Song**

...

* * *

 

_NECO's – Nymphronic Experimental Commission Outlets._

_They will be the revolution of our time._

_These creatures we have created from a hybridization of cat genes and human embryos, were specifically designed for you - the owner- to use at your will._

_For your satisfaction, once they are implanted with their licensing chips and are purchased, these independent and obedient creatures will do your bidding and any task you give them, providing you the ultimate life of luxury and pleasure…_

_..._

* * *

Eight-year old Allen Walker, trembling and timid, was lead into his cage by the scientists towering over him. With his head down and without a word, he climbed into his cage, pushing knots of platinum hair out of his eyes. His cat ears picked up the tell-tale 'click' of the latch locking him in for the night. He fingered the bars of his cage as he waited for sleep to claim him in the Rejection Center.

He'd been put here because of his left arm and the long scar over his left eye.

Although there was no denying that the young cat-boy was beautiful, as were all NECOs, but his hideously deformed black arm made him 'unsellable.'

However, with his unique platinum-coloured ears and tail, he was incredibly desirable and many Masters had offered to buy him. But he was instead, stuck here in the Rejection Center where all of the 'unsellables' were put until they could be altered and be sold.

Still, Allen was scared and bored and wanted to leave. It was the same routine each day - wake-up, experiments, lunch, experiments, talk to the men in white coats about how he was feeling, more experiments, then dinner, and he was locked back in his cage for the night.

Yet he knew better than to complain or cry if the experiments hurt. If you did, they would take away your food or make you go through more experiments. Or, you if you were really bad, you got taken away like Lenalee had and then never came back.

Allen wiggled in his cage, trying to wrap his small white tail comfortably around himself as he lay down to sleep. He had overheard some of the scientists talking about giving him bed because he was being good. A bed instead of a cage… Allen could only dream about what that would be like…

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and the door to the room swung open. He hissed in fright and barely a moment later, he found himself starring in awe as a struggling boy was brought into the room.

The other boy was dirty and snarling and clawing at the ones who were trying to push him into his cage. He got his teeth on one of the handlers, biting hard until a yell erupted from his captor. There was a resounding slap as the boy was struck across the face, sending the boy's dark hair falling like a curtain to cover his face. Allen flinched as he witnessed the assault and he closed his eyes as the taller boy stumbled back from the impact.

One of the men in white coats cursed before grabbing the boy by his dark, beautiful hair and used it to shove him into his cage, swiftly locking him in. As soon as his hair was released, the boy charged at his captors. Allen jumped as the boy rattled the cage, his midnight-ears pulled flush against his skull in fury. Allen felt the other boy's rage filling the air, practically suffocating him with its pressure.

The older boy snarled, baring his sharp teeth at the men in white coats and yelling in a language Allen couldn't understand.

Then, the dark-haired boy turned his head swiftly in Allen's direction.

Allen flinched and hurriedly looked away, saying a rhyme in his head to regain calmness over his fast-beating heart. It was hard to tell if his heart was pounding because the boy was so frightening or so beautiful.

Allen couldn't tell, and was afraid to find out.

Still, this boy could be trouble. Allen had to be good or else the white coats wouldn't give him a bed in the next few weeks.

The other boy's heavy angered breaths were the only sounds Allen could hear and he was startled to realize that she couldn't focus on anything except that sound. He couldn't even remember the rhyme Mana had taught him to say when he was scared, let alone finish it.

After a long moment, Allen not-so-subtly peeked through his white bangs only to see fierce blue-grey eyes, the colour of an unforgiving storm, starring back at him through the cage bars.

"You look like a moyashi," the other boy said, a hint of curiosity hidden in his tone.

The older boy's face, Allen realized, was just as beautiful as his hair. Even if his face was twisted into a frown, it appeared calm and observant, although the boy's chest was still heaving from anger and his dark tail was flicking from side-to-side in agitation.

"… I don't know what that is," Allen confessed quietly. "The only thing I've ever been called is an angel by Mana. He was my Papa."

"Hn, My old man only called me a…" The dark-haired boy froze momentarily and then his eyes narrowed accusingly at Allen. "Wait, why the hell am I talking to you? Who are you, Moyashi?"

Allen had no idea what a "moyo-rashi" was either, but figured that asking the other boy would only results in him getting yelled at.

"Umm, my name's Allen. I'm 8."

"Hmph. I'm Yuu. Age 12."

"Yuu. That's a nice name. It sounds royal."

There was a moment of surprise between them, where the older boy's eyes widened momentarily. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished.

"Anyway," Yuu continued, "the only thing my old man ever called me was a bastard."

"Oh."

"…."

"…."

"…You have no idea what that is do you?"

Allen said nothing, not wanting to admit that he had never heard the word before. But from the way the other boy had said it, it sounded bad.

Yuu peered intently at Allen. The older boy cocked his head, his dark hair falling over his shoulder like water as he regarded the white-haired boy for a long moment. Allen looked away bashfully and shifted under the intense gaze he was receiving.

"You look like one," Yuu finally admitted in a low tone. Allen's silver eyes met Yuu's dark eyes. Both felt a flash of  _something_  go through them at the contact.

"I look like, one of those…umm, 'b' things?"

"No!" Yuu yelled. Allen jumped and could only stare at the other boy in confusion. The elder scoffed and looked out of his cage, a hint of red gracing his pale cheekbones.

"… You look like an angel," Yuu clarified. "Not a bastard."

Allen felt his face grow hot as his stomach fluttered at the compliment. He couldn't believe someone as cool as Yuu thought  _he_  was an angel.

"Thank you," Allen said politely, and bravely ventured what he was thinking. "I think you look like one too."

For the first time, Yuu grinned, looking more animal than human for a moment. "No I don't. Don't lie, Moyashi. I look terrible, don't I?"

"Well, no. You just…" Allen tried to explain, but hesitated momentarily.

The boy couldn't see it, but to Allen, Yuu really did seem like an angel. He was so pale, and so pretty, with his dark hair and dark eyes. And there was a fierceness about him that Yuu seemed to have without even trying. Allen wished more than anything he could be the same.

But… now that Allen saw the state of the boy's hair and clothes… The white-haired child bit his lower lip as he looked over the older boy for a second. Allen allowed himself a small smile at Yuu.

"Well, yeah actually, you do look terrible. And dirty," Allen confessed.

"I know. Thanks," Yuu said gruffly, puffing out his chest just a little in pride. A silence stretched between them until Yuu gracefully shifted himself in his cage so that he was face to face with Allen through the bars.

Allen waited for Yuu to speak, but there was not a sound from the boy.

His dark eyes just starred at Allen, flickering over the child's pale eyes, face, hair, and his tattered clothing. Allen blushed shamefully under the scrutiny. Yuu looked tough with his hair all dirty and his clothes torn and battered from the experiments. Allen knew he just looked like a big loser.

"Hmph."

"Hmph what?" Allen asked.

"You're cute," Yuu boldly said, causing Allen's face to turn bright red.

"Thank you."

"And innocent."

"Umm, thanks?"

"And obedient."

"Hey, no I'm not -"

"Shut up."

"Okay," Allen whimpered. Yuu just smirked, his dark eyes glinting as his tail took on a more pleased swish.

"Hn. You're going to be my mate, Moyashi."

Allen choked on his tongue as he struggled to remember how to breathe and how to stop blushing.

"Wh- what?!"

"My mate. You belong to me now. I'm claiming you. I'll protect you and kick the ass of anybody who tries to touch you."

Allen's eyes went wide. No-one but Mana had ever wanted to protect him.

No-one.

Mana had been nice to him and wanted to break him out of this place so the rich people couldn't buy him. But since Mana was a white coat, when the other white coats found out about it, Mana was killed.

Allen swallowed a lump of hurt as he thought of his beloved Mana and thought back on what Yuu had just told him. The younger one flicked his tail around the small cage, wondering if the dark-haired boy was being serious when he said Allen was his mate.

"B-but," Allen began, "I don't know what a mate is. And I'm not sure if I wanna be your …'mate', even if you would protect me."

Yuu's eyes narrowed and his tail stopped suddenly.

"You don't know what a mate is?" Yuu sounded both offended and amused.

"I'm sorry," Allen protested weakly. "I've never been outside of here except to do tests and experiments."

Yuu's eyes went wide. Then, the dark cat-boy suddenly hissed viciously, eyes narrowing to slits and the fur of his tail going wild.

"Bastards! They've kept you locked in here all this time!?" Yuu lashed out with his fists at the bars of the cage separating them. Allen flinched and pinned his ears down.

Midnight blue eyes stared steadfast at Allen through the bars. Allen looked away, but found himself drawn back to them no matter how shy or confused he felt. The platinum-haired boy bit his lower lip out of habit and then looked at Yuu through his lashes.

Daringly, Allen shifted to put his hands over Yuu's on the cage bars. Yuu's anger seemed to flow out of him at the contact. Possessively, Yuu looped his long tail through the cage to caress Allen's white one in a smooth stroke. Allen could only purr, feeling soothed by the gesture.

"Yuu," he said, once he'd regained some control over his noises, "if I were to be your mate, would that make you my mate too?"

Yuu nodded once and made careful to not to let his anticipation show. He didn't want to scare the moyashi like when he had first come in. He was only after the fucking scientists in their white coats. He would never scare his moyashi ever again now that they were mates.

"So if I were your mate, what would I have to do?" Allen asked gently.

Yuu wrinkled his nose and scoffed. "Do? You don't need to do anything. I'll do everything for you. I'll protect you and get you anything you need. You just have to promise you'll be mine, and you won't let anyone else love you or own you."

"So you'd be like my brother or my Master?"

"I am  _not_  your brother. And I'm not like those fucking dirty human Masters, baka moyashi! Don't ever associate me with them! I'm your protector and your lover from now on."

"Lover?"

"You'll understand when you're older."

Allen could only nod as he looked at his new…  _mate_ (the word felt funny on his tongue) and resisted the urge to smile. Yuu was strange, but nice and very handsome and strong. Allen really liked him and was glad he had been given such a good mate.

"Sure, I'll be your mate and you'll be mine. And I promise not to be anyone else's."

Yuu's ears perked up at the oath and he nodded firmly in consent. He couldn't help but feel regal at the thought that the white-eared boy was now his. The boy would be an even more handsome mate once Yuu got them out of here and his Moyashi got a good grooming and some better clothes. Which reminded him…

"Oi, Moyashi, when we get out of here, I'll buy you something sparkly so everyone will know you're mine."

"What?" Allen breathed out, hardly moving for what seemed like an eternity because he was so stunned. There was silence between the two.

Allen said quietly, "Really? You would do that for me?"

Allen sounded so hopeful and so filled with joy at the thought that Yuu was torn between purring at the boy or trying to kill the men who had put his Moyashi in this cage. Allen smiled shyly again as Yuu nodded.

Suddenly, a thought hit the platinum-haired boy.

"Yuu, you said that if I was your mate you would do stuff for me, right?"

"Anything," Yuu swore, eyes brightening with the same intensity that Allen seemed to be getting a lot of. Allen gave a timid, heartbreakingly hopeful smile.

"Yuu, I don't suppose you could get us out here?"

Yuu scoffed with a hint of what Allen thought may have been a smirk on the other boy's lips. Yuu nodded and then elegantly twisted himself in his cage to face the opening.

"Of course I can, baka Moyashi. Just wait a little bit. I'll get you outta here and then we'll be free. And I'll buy that pretty thing and I'll introduce you to the other NECOs and tell them you're my mate and it'll be better. I swear, Moyashi."

Allen nodded quietly and watched as Yuu pulled at his bars thoughtfully, already planning on how to break them both free.

Yuu was so amazing. He was everything Allen wasn't and he was so much better than Allen thought he could ever be. He was so strong and handsome and so sure of himself that Allen _almost_ believed the older boy about escaping...  _almost_ …

Maybe, one day, they really could be free together.


	2. Begin The Beguine

**Chapter 2 : Begin the Beguine**

...

* * *

 

_— **4 years later—**_

The warm August sky was painted like one large smudge of baby blue, cloudless and endless against the green forests below. High up on a secluded cliffside, surrounded with green grass, brown woods, and violet flowers, sat an abandoned wooden house. The appearance was run-down and tattered, but had the look of a place that could have been charming if it had been well cared for.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through thin, yellow curtains of the tiny house, falling on the pale form curled amidst thin blue sheets in the upper level bedroom.

Blinking sleep from his eyes, 12-year-old Allen mewled as he let out a yawn, stretching his body as long as he could and pointing his toes. A shiver wracked his body for a moment before all the tension flowed out of him. His white tail swished from side to side as he soaked in the warm sunlight and the soft caress of thin pajama pants on his legs.

Then, he suddenly realized something.

There was no body surrounding his, curled around his, overshadowing his, and blocking the sun from his eyes.

Yuu was not in the bed with him.

He blinked slowly, still feeling half-asleep. He let out another mewl as he yawned again and his ears twitched as he caught the sound of a bird singing and Lavi talking to it outside. He smiled to himself at the mental image that provided.

Then, the smell of fried bologna hit his nose.

Allen forgot all about Lavi and the bird, and he was instantly awake and upright in bed.

He leapt onto the hardwood floor, stumbling slightly as the cold hit his feet, and he threw open the door and ran down the narrow stairway, grabbing the door frame as he swung around the corner. He slowed his steps as he entered the messy kitchen, inhaling the mouth-watering, meaty scent.

He tried to ignore the slight scent of musk that was coming from Lavi's sweaty T-shirt (which was across the back of a nearby chair) and the old pair of boxers that were sitting on one of the counters. (Allen did not even want to know whom those belonged to.)

But on the opposite counter, was a white china plate piled high with that delicious, beautifully sculpted tower of fried bologna. Allen barely noticed the plate of fruit, plate of pancakes, and the jug of milk that sat behind it.

Standing at the stove with a bare chest, pale as cream apart from the dark tattoo imprinted on his chest, was Allen's 16-year old lover. He stood with a scowl on his face and his midnight ears pulled back in distaste, but looking every bit as breathtaking as a god –

"Yuu," Allen sighed, not realizing he had said it aloud.

His lover turned at the sound of Allen's voice.

"Hn. Moyashi," he scoffed out, turning back to the stove. Allen just grinned, spotting how Yuu's tail was swaying despite how he was trying to suppress it.

Happily, Allen skipped over and planted a loving kiss along his Yuu's cheek, feeling extremely pleased as his lover paused in surprise.

"Are you making breakfast?"

"Hn."

"You have your hair down this morning," Allen admired, running his fingers gently through the tangled strands that were the colour of a midnight sky. Yuu purred quietly, almost shamefully, in the back of his throat and tilted his head faintly into Allen's hands.

Allen curled into his mate's hip, purring loudly himself at the beauty of Yuu's hair, Yuu's pale shoulder, and Yuu in general.

"Have I told you how much I love your hair?" Allen sighed out, continuing to dance his fingers through his lover's hair. Yuu let out a little moan, turning to pin Allen with his dark eyes.

Allen froze as his chest swelled with wonder, desire, and a hint of embarrassment.

"Only every day, moyashi," Yuu muttered, his lips brushing Allen's rosy ones in a teasing manner.

"…oh," was the only thing Allen could say, blushing a pretty red.

Yuu just smirked, flicking his tongue out to lick Allen's lips, causing the younger to blush even darker. Yuu smirked for a moment but turned back to the food, knowing Allen would need more food than what was on the counter to keep him full.

"Che, tie my hair up for me, moyashi. It's in the way anyhow," Yuu said sourly, but Allen knew his mate wasn't nearly as angry as he sounded.

"Okay" Allen chirped, scanning the kitchen until he spotted a hair elastic around the end of a butter knife on the counter. Their little house was a comfortable mess, but it made it feel like home so Allen had never minded.

Happily, Allen moved to grab the elastic before curling back against his lover's hip. He grasped the strands and piled them on top of his lover's head, taking a moment to finish admiring the strands and how they slid like silk through his fingers.

Deciding to see if it was possible, Allen gently took the two strands that always framed Yuu's face and pulled them into the pile of hair he had in his hands. Quickly, the younger boy looped the elastic around the dark hair, tugging softly to secure it, before running his hand down the ponytail and standing back to admire his handiwork.

Yuu turned at the sound of Allen giggling behind him.

Allen just stuck his tongue out at the Japanese NECO, and Yuu had to resist the urge to pin his moyashi to the counter and kiss him.

 _Moyashi on the counter…moyashi for breakfast…Mmm now that would be a fucking good meal…_ Yuu thought, eyeing his pale lover's chest and those pretty pink nipples.

Allen, ever naïve, missed the way Yuu's midnight tail had taken on a seductive and approving sway.

"I got all of your hair up," Allen said smugly, putting his hands on either side of his face to imitate the characteristic strands that framed Yuu's face.

Yuu just raised an eyebrow at his lover, and then tilted his head to the side.

The two strands fell from the ponytail and claimed their rightful position by Yuu's cheekbones. Yuu righted his head and immediately smirked.

Allen merely pouted and puffed out his cheeks. The image caused Yuu to growl low in his throat.

"You fucking keep pouting like that and I'm going to kiss you until you collapse, moyashi," Yuu warned, licking his lips again as he eyed Allen's tempting nipples for a second time.

"Pervert," Allen said half-heartedly, blushing bright red and turning to grab the plate of bologna. There was sudden kiss to the nape of his neck, but by the time Allen had turned around, Yuu was busy over the stove again, acting as if he had not done anything.

Allen smiled to himself, tenderly touching the back of his neck.

 _This morning could not get any better…_  Allen thought, turning back to the plate of bologna.

Then the plate was snatched right out of his hands.

Allen froze for a second, feeling stunned, as a shadow was suddenly looming over him. Allen tilted his head back, glaring unsuccessfully at the white dress-shirt and devilish grin he was met with.

Allen repressed the urge to cough as a plume of cigarette smoke was blown past his face.

"Tyy-yyki!" Allen whined.

"Relax, boy," the wolf-eared NECO said, purposefully holding the meat above Allen's reach to irritate him. Tyki took another drag on his cigarette. "You'll get your food once we get ours."

"But - but I get to eat first!" Allen said. Tyki was so mean to him sometimes! "Yuu said so - "

"Excuse me, but I'm the oldest NECO here, boy, so I'll eat first" Tyki stated, sitting down in a chair and propping his legs lazily up on another. He took three slices of bologna and slowly laid them on the table before himself. Smugly, he turned to look back at Allen as he gingerly picked up a slice and licked it in a long stroke.

Allen's stomach rumbled in desire.

"Besides," Tyki continued, "you take in as much food as a small European nation. There is no way you're eating first. If you did, there would be nothing left for the rest of us."

Allen scowled, knowing it was true but unwilling to admit it. Tyki just grinned, and tilted his head back as he dropped the bologna into his mouth.

With his mouth open and his eyes closed, Tyki was expecting sweet, crispy meat to fill his mouth.

It never came.

Tyki's eyes shot open, and the first thing he was met with was Yuu's scowling face. The cat-eared NECO had the bologna in his fingers, only inches from Tyki's mouth.

Tyki momentarily wondered if he could gobble it up before Yuu would notice. The bologna was removed from sight, as if Yuu had sensed his thoughts, and Tyki pouted childishly.

"Listen up, asshole, I. Am. The Leader." Yuu hissed, his pupils narrowed to dangerous slits. " _I eat first_.  _Always._  And don't give me that shit about you being 'technically' older than me. You're past you're expiration date so your age is worth shit to me. The only reason you're here is because Allen likes the damn usagi, and the damn usagi likes you. Got it?"

"Whatever. Despite what you say, you always let your little pet eat first anyways, Yuu. And I'm not that far past my expiration date!"

"Oi," a cheerful voice said from the open doorway, "you never did tell me what your exact 'expiration date' was."

Sunlight split onto the floor momentarily before the door was closed again. Yuu moved silently to the door, taking the bologna with him as he flicked the lock shut.

Lavi, dressed in a green shirt and a pair of white jeans, skipped into the kitchen and heaved two metal buckets of water onto the counter. Lavi paused for a moment upon before he moved over to wrap his arms around his Portuguese lover's shoulders.

Tyki hummed in approval and swiftly pulled the rabbit onto his lap.

"I'm not telling you my expiration date, querido," Tyki murmured.

The redhead just pouted, causing Tyki's dark, mused tail to wag against the back of the chair. This sight did not go unnoticed by Lavi, who was more than willing to point out that fact.

"Aww, look at your tail wag! It's so cute!" Lavi teased, pointing at it with a cheeky grin. "Are you really that happy to see me, Tyki?"

"Mmm, that's not the only part of me that's happy to see you."

"… Down boy."

"What? It's the truth. And besides, querido, I happen to like your tail a lot. Yours is much cuter than mine."

A large tanned hand slipped down to Lavi's white-clad rear, groping it shamelessly. Lavi just grinned even wider.

"Tyki, my tail is higher than that. It is at the base of my spine."

"Really? I had no idea. Oops." The hand continued its shameless groping and Allen blushed at the sight of the two older men being so… so… open, about how they touched each other.

Lavi was so calm about being molested that it was stunning to Allen. Allen almost felt guilty because he was always surprised when Yuu touched him like that. Allen always found, even if Yuu told him when he was going to touch his …err,  _bum_ , he couldn't resist yelping or jumping or turning red at the contact.

…even if… the feel of Yuu's hands on him was really really good…

Allen quickly shook the dirty thoughts from his mind, feeling his face grow hot.

Were all mates supposed to be perverted with one another? Allen honestly wished he knew.

Lavi and Tyki were the only other mates he knew of –despite that the two of them were different brands of NECO – and they were just as perverted, if not more so, than his Yuu.

Yuu.

Yuu was his mate.

_His._

Allen still couldn't believe, even after all these years, that he had someone as wonderful and as strong as Yuu all to himself. Yuu was there to protect him and cuddle with him and stay with him forever.

"If you two start making out, I'm going to fucking kill you both," Yuu hissed at the rabbit and wolf NECO, his long tail rigid in irritation. Yuu glared at the two of them for a moment before he slid up the plate of bologna towards Allen.

Allen's eyes went wide as his silver tail waved happily.

"Thank you, Yuu!" Allen said, hugging his lover tightly and planted another kiss on his cheek.

Allen quickly took a seat and dug into the plate of meat with gusto, moaning as the rich and crispy taste hit his tongue and melted in his mouth.

He missed the way Yuu flushed at the sound, his blue eyes pinned on his mate, and how Yuu's tail began to sashay again.

"So, what did I miss while I was out getting water?" Lavi asked. "Did I walk in to hear that Yuu was calling my Tyki old?"

"Shut up, usagi!" Yuu snapped loudly, his dark eyes still trained on the way Allen was innocently using his little pink tongue to lick his lips. "Hn. And you know damn well that your man-whore is old and way-fucking-past his expiration date. "

Allen blinked as he tried to process what was going on. He'd never heard of that word before – ex-pir-a-tion.

"Umm Lavi? What's an expiration date?" Allen asked.

The peaceful and teasing morning atmosphere seemed to deflate like a balloon, leaving a stale taste in the air. Three sets of eyes turned to gaze at Allen.

The platinum-haired boy almost regretted asking now that he was being stared at so intently. And Tyki looked almost…sad.

"Oh, that's easy, moyashi!" Lavi answered, as if nothing had happened, "What your oh-so-loving Yuu means is that all of us NECOs have a limited amount of time to live."

Allen's eyes went wide in horror and he dropped the piece of bologna he'd been eating.

"What I meant to say," Lavi supplied quickly, his long crimson ears pulled to his skull at the sound of Yuu preparing to kill him, "is that all living things have expected time frames to live. Everything in life has an expiration date. Humans usually live to be about 80 or so. Human pets live for a maximum of 15 years. We NECOs were designed to live until the age of 20. And you know how old Tyki is, right?"

Allen swallowed back the fear he had felt before, feeling slightly reassured by Lavi's gentle tone and his explanation. The platinum haired boy bit his lip as he tried to rack his brain to remember Tyki's age.

"Uhh... 40?"

Tyki looked like he'd been shot in the heart.

 _His cigarette even fell out of his mouth_ , Allen noted with a smug satisfaction. Allen stuck his tongue out at the older NECO to show he was kidding.

"Tyki's 24, right?"

"Yup! So he's past his 'expiration date'."

"Oh! Okay – " Allen began, but then had to pause as another yawn worked itself out of him. Tears welled up in the corner of his eyes and he rubbed them away with his blackened left hand.

Lavi watched the entire incident and his brow furrowed in concern. Allen's shoulders were droopy. His ears seemed less perky than usual. Even his silver eyes seemed to have lost some of their light.

"You seem unusually tired this morning, moyashi. You okay?" Lavi said, moving to check on his young friend. Tyki refused to let the one-eyed rabbit go, so Lavi made due with craning across the table to peer worriedly at Allen.

The catboy nodded, his silver ears twitching.

"I'm fine, Lavi."

Lavi raised a skeptical eyebrow at his best friend.

"Really, I'm fine," Allen promised. "I'm just tired because I stayed up late last night."

Tyki grinned ferally at the innocent words, his eyes taking on a hungry golden tint.

"Gee, I wonder what could've possibly kept you up all night, boy? Your Japanese lover, perhaps?"

Allen tilted his head to the side in an adorable display of confusion.

"Umm, sorry, but I don't know what you mean. I was working on …" Allen flushed and tried to look serious, "…Well, it's something I can't tell you about. But I was working on it last night, so I didn't really see Yuu until I went to bed."

"Hmm, and did your little Yuu keep you up for the rest of the night?" Tyki growled seductively. "Did he reward you for all your hard work on that 'something-you-cant-tell-me-about?'

Yuu glared at the Portuguese man, wondering if he could rip the bastard's tongue out so he wouldn't have to listen to his perverted shit anymore.

 _Although, Allen would get upset if I did that,_ Yuu thought sourly _. Damn it._

"I don't get it," Allen said, frowning in puzzlement.

"Oh, you'll get  _it,_ " Tyki muttered with a sadistic grin, "when Yuu takes you for the first time, and shoves his –"

_Fuck it. Allen can be upset._

Yuu slammed his fist into Tyki's jaw.

The midnight-haired teen heard Lavi yelp and Allen gasp, but the most satisfying noise to him was the crack that came from Tyki's jaw. A thin trail of blood leaked out of the wolf NECO's mouth, dripping onto the once crisp shirt, as he turned silently to stare at Yuu with his golden eyes narrowed in fury.

Silence stretched over the room as the two dark haired males stared each other down.

"Shut your mouth, you filthy dog," Yuu ordered.

"Make me, pussycat," Tyki hissed.

_THUD! THUD! THUD!_

All four NECOs froze, muscles tense and ears pinned back to their skulls, as there was a sudden and desperate pounding on the door to their home.

It sounded like someone was trying to break down the door.

The cliff-side home that the four NECOs had claimed was almost unreachable to humans, yet if there were humans here – scientists who wanted to take them back to the Rejection Center or humans who wanted to become their Masters – then they had no way to escape.

"Take Allen and hide," Yuu ordered lowly.

Tyki and Lavi immediately grabbed Allen by the arms and pulled him out of the room. Allen opened his mouth to cry out, but Lavi had a hand clamped firmly over the young boy's mouth before he could try. Allen was dragged up the stairs, his feet barely touching the floor from the way Lavi and Tyki held him.

Meanwhile, Yuu stared straight ahead at the solid wood door that served as the entryway to the house. He let his eyes narrow to slits and let his fangs bare themselves as he crouched in an aggressive stance.

No one was supposed to know they had escaped.

No one was supposed to know that they were here in this house.

Any NECO found without a microchip implanted in their neck was considered a free slave, and any free slave - if caught - could be commanded or controlled without the law being able to do anything about it.

Any free-slave could be killed, tortured, collared, forced into prostitution, forced into the bed of the person who'd found them, or forced into a cage.

Yuu would be damned to hell if anyone in his house ever had to endure that.

Especially Allen.

_THUD! THUD! THUD!_


	3. Try A Little Tenderness

...

**Chapter 3 :** **Try A Little Tenderness**

… _._

* * *

"NO! We have to get Yuu!" Allen cried out as Lavi and Tyki dragged him through their living room and towards the stairs.

"Yuu will be fine," Lavi said, but there was a sudden crash and a scream from behind them. "He's a big boy."

"Yuu!" Allen cried worriedly, thrashing in the older NECOs' grasps. Neither one refused to let him go, knowing he would only distract Yuu and cause more trouble if he became involved in the fight. "Let go! I'm not leaving him!"

"Oh yes you are," Tyki muttered.

Fear and panic stilled the young boy's breath and made his heart staccato.

Lavi and Tyki were trying take him away from his mate. They were going to take him away from Yuu.

What if he never got to see Yuu again? They weren't going to let him. He was never going to see Yuu again! No he couldn't without Yuu! He loved Yuu! Yu was his mate and he loved him and he couldn't leave Yuu! He couldn't!

"Let me go! Yuu! YUU!" Allen cried, but Lavi quickly threw his arm across the boy's mouth to muffle his noise.

"Moyashi, we need to hide –"

Then the three NECO's froze, ears perking as they all caught an unusual sound from the kitchen – someone was crying for the pain to stop.

Allen immediately fretted that it was his lover. Desperate with inapt fear, Allen turned and sunk his sharp, childish fangs into Lavi's forearm.

"Shit!" Lavi shrieked, pulling his injured hand away to cradle it to his chest. Allen dropped to the floor swiftly, trying to pull his other arm away from Tyki so he could run to his mate.

However, the wolf-NECO was much stronger and recognizing what Allen had done, he gripped Allen's remaining arm with both hands. Allen flailed uselessly as he tried to run to the kitchen.

"Boy," Tyki hissed warningly, his golden eyes gaining a tint of red. He loved the white-haired child as though they were relarted by blood, but he had bitten Lavi. That was a serious offence in Tyki's eyes.

Another high wail of pain from the kitchen interrupted Tyki before he could speak.

"Yuu!"

"Would you stop it! Yuu isn't the one screaming!" Tyki barked out. Allen paid him no mind, deaf to everything but the thought of Yuu being injured.

Allen struggled again, now more desperate than ever to get back to his dark-haired lover. By some miracle, Allen managed to pull Tyki forwards just a little, and then the white-haired child tripped, dragging Tyki with him until the wolf-NECO collided with his injured lover. Instinctually, Tyki wrapped both arms around Lavi's waist to prevent the rabbit from falling, and Allen stumbled briefly before he took off running.

"YUU! Stop it! Don't hurt Yuu, please!" Allen shouted, unable to stand the screams any longer, bursting through the open entry way.

"Moyashi?" Yuu said, turning to glance over his shoulder from where he was crouched on the floor.

Allen felt his chest swell with relief and pride and thanks when he saw that Yuu was safe – the midnight-blue fur of his tail wasn't even fluffed up, it was still as glossy and as perfect as it had been during breakfast.

Yet a crumbled, child-like form lay under Yuu's feet in a pitiful fetal curl. There was blood smudged across the hardwood floor and the human boy was whimpering, even when Yuu was no longer striking him. Allen fretfully pushed his mate side, pulling the poor human to his feet.

"Moyashi!" Yuu said, offended.

"Are you insane!?" Lavi cried for farther down the hall, "that human was sent to kill us! Now get your ass back here before I make Tyki do it!"

"Oi, querido! -"

"He's not a fucking human, but he is going to fucking die!" Yuu growled out, his enlarged tail swishing angrily from side to side.

"He's one of us!" Allen gasped out.

"Wait, what?"

It was a NECO boy, no older than Allen and he was still curled into himself as though fearing Yuu would beat him again and Allen would join in. He had a mess of chocolate brown hair and rich caramel coloured skin, although the beautiful skin was now splattered with blue and purple bruises. A trembling chocolate tail was pulled tightly to the boys stomach and his brown, pointed ears were pulled flat to his skull.

The fur surrounding one ear had been matted black with blood and Allen was horrified to see where the blood was coming from - a large bite had been take out of the tip.

"Yuu! How badly did you hurt him?" Allen cried.

"I didn't do that to him. The brat had it when he broke in and –"

"He had it before you fought him? Oh my gosh, Yuu! What if he's a runaway like us? Are you okay?"

"Hn. That little brat - Oi! Moyashi!"

Allen had scooped the unknown teen into his arms and tried to help him to his feet. The boy struggled and yelled but Allen quickly wrapped his white tail loosely around that of the other boys and touched the two gently. The boy seemed to relax a little as the calming touches sent endorphins throughout his body, but his trembling remained.

"It's okay," Allen began gently. "Shh, shh, you're safe with us. Yuu isn't gonna hurt you no more, so it's okay… "

The other boy just pushed himself further into the platinum-NECO's warmth, still trembling in fear. Allen beamed happily at the contact, glad to know that his new friend recognized that he was a safe person to be with. The poor guy must've been so scared. He was all alone and he didn't even have Yuu or a Tyki to protect him like Allen did. Allen caressed the other's back with gentle strokes, nuzzling the top of the boy's damaged ear gently.

There came a sudden, loud purr of both pleasure and shock from the caramel-skinned boy. Timidly, his chocolate trail began to touch Allen's in attempt to seek more warmth and comfort from the pale boy's arms.

Yuu froze in disbelief.

Was his moyashi actually being…  _groped_ … by another NECO!?

Yuu's tail went rigid and every muscle in his body tensed in anticipation to kill the scrawny brat before him and take back  _his moyashi_.

That motherfucking brat was going to die.

He moved swiftly towards his mate, but was stopped by Tyki's arms restraining him from behind.

"Yuu, he looks pretty harmless – " Tyki said.

"Let me at him!" Yuu growled darkly, but Tyki only tightened his hold. Yuu would've bitten the wolf-NECO's hand except Tyki had been smart enough to pin one hand against the furious cat-boy's windpipe. Yuu couldn't move without breaking an arm or his own collarbone.

"Yuu, calm down. You're reacting too violently, I mean, look at the poor pup. He can hardly move after the beating you gave him, and I doubt in that shape he could attack you or Allen or any of us."

"Shh, It' s okay… I promise…" Allen continued to say, oblivious of how his lover was seconds away from murdering the boy he was holding, "…Yuu didn't mean to hurt you so bad…He's just a little over-protective of me and Lavi and Tyki…He's really sweet that way…" Allen tried to explain.

The whimpering mass began to still and Allen smiled cheerfully, hoping to reassure the other boy. A second later, Allen was stunned when he was met with a pair of big chocolate brown eyes.

"Wow," Allen said. "You're really –"

Yuu had Allen in his arms and his fangs bared at the newcomer within seconds. Tyki was dazed for an entire minute as to how Yuu had escaped from him without breaking anything.

The other boy screamed in fright at the sight of Yuu crouched ferally before him, Allen slung over the Japanese teen's shoulders, and bloodlust clear in his darkened midnight eyes. The caramel-skinned boy scrambled backwards on all fours, whimpering as tears filled his eyes and his ears glued themselves to his head.

"Yuu!" Allen cried out, trying to scramble towards his new friend. "Stop it! Put me down!"

"You have three seconds," Yuu began, voice sinister and dripping with venom, "to tell me who the fuck you are or I will rip you apart, starting with that fucking tail of yours."

"Yuu!" Allen cried, flailing uselessly in the other's strong grasp.

"Whoa," Tyki began moving to stop Yuu from killing the poor child, "What the hell are you – "

"He had his hands all over Allen --  _my mate_!" Yuu hissed, hair standing on end and eyes taking on a deadly slit.

Tyki paused mid-step, cocking his head to the side. His outstretched arms, which he had planned to use to haul Yuu away, dropped to the Portuguese man's sides.

"How exactly was he touching Allen?"

"Ty-ki!" Lavi shrieked in outrage.

"He was  _purring_  because Allen touched him - "

Tyki pondered this for a moment.

"Fair enough," Tyki said stepping back and crossing his arms over his bare chest, as if to watch. "That's reason enough to kick his ass—"

"No it it's not!" Lavi and Allen shouted simultaneously.

"I was touching him first!" Allen tried to defend. "So leave him alone!"

Yuu just growled again, standing on his feet so that he towered over the crouching boy. Making sure the other NECO was still watching him. Yuu pulled Allen from over his shoulder into his hip, burying his nose into his white fluff of hair, his golden eyes still glaring at the newcomer.

Allen struggled to pull Yuu's arm from around his waist, but was rewarded with nothing more than Yuu pulling him further towards his body until Allen could feel the entire length of Yuu's hard, tensed body behind him. The white-haired boy couldn't help but blush a cherry red. He'd forgotten Yuu still was shirtless and his skin was hot against Allen's bare back.

Yuu inhaled deeply, still keeping is eyes locked on the intruder, and gave a noise that was half-growl and half-purr. Allen's hair smelled damn good. Hell, having Allen pulled against him like this felt even better.

But that motherfucking stray ….

No-one touched his moyashi.

No-one but Yuu himself.

"Who are you, kid?" Lavi asked, his voice soft but no less suspicious than Yuu's. "And what the hell do you want from us?"

"I-I-I-I'm a r-r-runaway," the boy confessed, as his trembling began to slow. "I he-he-heard rumors that there was an abandoned house here, b-b-but someone else told me that was a lie. Humans lived h-h-here, they told me. But I don't c-care about belonging to a human, I just wanted to be away from… them… the scientists… the Rejection Center…"

"I told you!" Allen cried out triumphantly, giving a dazzling smile to the boy. "You can stay here if you like—"

"Whoa, moyashi, wait –"

"Allen? -"

"Oi, boy, are you crazy!? –"

"I'm Allen by the way," the white eared boy continued, smiling happily at his new friend. He tried to reach forward to shake hands with his friend, but Yuu was having none of that.

The older NECO pulled his mate's arms back to his side, growling warningly in his ear. The growl was nowhere near as violent as it had been before, however, because Yuu didn't like to growl at his moyashi, but it was necessary sometimes. Allen was perfect in every way to Yuu, except that he was far too naïve sometimes.

And Yuu still didn't trust this brat.

"And he," Allen continued, nodding with his head, "is Tyki and that's Lavi and this is my Yuu! What's your name?"

Allen's white tail was dancing happily from side to side, and the caramel skinned boy was starring at Allen and his bright smile like he had just seen an angel.

"Spit it out, brat, or I'll beat it out of you" Yuu threatened. He did not like the way the brat was eyeing his moyashi, especially after he had tried to molest Yuu's property.

A second later, Allen swatted his mate with his white tail, gazing up at Yuu with a pout. The words ' _Be nice to him'_  we're clearly imprinted on Allen's face. Yuu just frowned, but Allen's insist pout remained.

After a moment of silence, and with a heavy sigh, Yuu fixed a heated glare on the new NECO in their home. He gritted his teeth and tried his best to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"…. _please_ " Yuu said. He had to bite his tongue to resist the urge to add a threat to the end.

The chocolate haired teen seemed to relax slightly at the word, thinking Yuu trusted him now and was trying to be polite and apologize to him.

Allen's pout dissipated instantly and the boy craned his neck backwards to try and kiss his mate's cheek in thanks. He was too short to reach, and after quickly going on his tip-toes, Allen toppled backwards, nearly hitting the floor before Yuu hauled him back over his broad shoulder as though he were nothing more than a kitten.

Allen flushed bright red, hearing Lavi loudly snickering from behind him. Allen struggled in Yuu's arms, indicating he wanted to be put on his feet again. Once that was accomplished, Allen planted a firm, loving kiss on Yuu's lips and entwined their tails.

Both Yuu and the new NECO's eyes widened at the kiss.

Yuu soon slipped into the familiar memory of kissing his moyashi in return, but couldn't resist sending a smug glance over Allen's shoulder. The chocolate-eared boy had turned a pale pink and was looking to the far wall. He was clearly upset and uncomfortable.

Yuu grinned against Allen's lips.

_Take that! Allen is_ _mine._

"So, I'm sorry, what do you say your name was?" Allen asked after breaking the kiss. The newcomer's discomfort swiftly faded and he smiled happily. Everyone was surprised when and gave a small, timid bow in Allen's direction.

"Oh, my name is Narien," he said. "It's a pleasure to meet you…Allen…"

"Na-rien," Allen said, testing the word out on his tongue. "Narien. That's so cool. It sounds like -" Allen suddenly bit his lower lip in embarrassment, looking sheepish.

"Umm, weird?" Narien supplied. "It's okay. I understand."

"No, no!" Allen protested quickly, "I just thought it was like …well, you caught us before breakfast so, I thought it sounded like well, umm…like a type of spicy food," he admitted.

Narien let out tiny chuckle, shrugging as if he silently agreed.

"Well, I was born in India, so the spicy food thing could be true. "

Allen gasped, eyes bright with wonder and amazement. He had never left England before - heck, he had never left the cages of the Rejection Center until Yuu had become his mate. But while he had been there, Allen remembered the scientists pointing at places on a spinning ball with colours and odd shapes all over it. They called it a 'glo-buh'. Allen remembered them pointing out places and asking him what they were called. He remembered India was one of them and that it was really really far away from England.

"India!? But that's so far away! Do you miss it? What was it like? How long did you live there?" Allen's tail was swaying excitedly.

"I was there until I was 6. You would've liked it, Allen" Narien said, feeling both excited and humbled that he could call the boy by name.

Yuu growled warningly, "And I don't give a shit. Now sit down, brat!"

Narien sat immediately in a chair, the smile wiped from his face. He never took his eyes off of Yuu as he did so. Seeing that the tall, dark haired man' scowl hadn't changed, Narien dropped his chocolate ears, not wanting to be beaten again.

"Lavi and Tyki, take seat." Yuu ordered. "We're going to have a talk with this…" He caught Allen looking at him from the corner of his eye. "… guest."

Lavi and Tyki moved silently and swiftly to sit once again, with Lavi opposite the injured boy. Allen scrambled forwards to take the remaining seat by Narien's side, but was stopped by Yuu locking his arms around the platinum-boy's middle and spinning him towards the stairs.

"Go get dressed, Moyashi."

"But it's only 8:00am –" Allen whined, giving brief glance to the kitchen clock.

"I said get dressed. You're going into town with Tyki later."

"Oi, why do I have to go with the boy?" Tyki demanded, in the midst of pulling out a cigarette from his shirt pocket.

"But Yuu," Allen said, looking disappointed, " I wanted to stay in my pajamas pants. They're cool and it's so hot outside -"

"Look, do you want to get ointment for the brat's ear?" Yuu snapped. "Or do you want it to bleed out, get infected, and fall the fuck off?"

Allen's ears jumped to their full height and his silver eyes went wide. Then, fast as lightening, he was racing up the stairs and stumbling over his own feet.

Yuu counted 1…2….3…4…, waiting until the sound of his mate' s childish footsteps had faded into nothing more than soft pads on the floor above him. Then, Yuu turned slowly, his murderous aura filling the room. After all, Allen wasn't in the room anymore so he had no reason to smother it.

Narien ands Lavi both inched their chairs backwards with fearful eyes, their ears flickering in worry. Tyki was too busy smoking too notice or care, although he made sure to keep on eye on his redhead lover, just in case Yuu tried to hurt him.

"First off, why the fuck did you choose our home?" Yuu hissed, leaning in so that he and Narien were nose to nose.

"Y-You were the first house I found," Narien said quietly, submissively.

"Hn. And you just decided to throw yourself at it? What if there had been humans living here? You're honestly telling me that as much as you wanted to 'escape' you were fine with running into a nest of humans!?"

"Y-yes," he admitted.

"Liar!" Yuu snapped.

"N-no! I just didn't want to be near the scientists! I-I-I mean, I don't mind humans as Masters –"

Yuu bared his teeth at the very thought.

"- I just wanted the experiments and surgeries to stop."

Lavi hummed quietly from across the table.

"Yuu, can I ask a question?" he said. Yuu raised an eyebrow at the unusual request, but kept his face impassive and nodded.

"First off, since we never had an actual intro and you're story sounds legit about wanting to escape, Hi! I'm Lavi," the rabbit said, offering a hand as he leaned over the table. Narien smiled shyly in return and carefully shook his hand, making sure Yuu wouldn't lash out if he did so.

"Now, on to the serious stuff - how did you escape?" Lavi asked. His voice was calm and friendly but his eyes were critical.

"Oh, well, it's a long story."

"We've got time," Lavi said, silencing the boy's attempt to deflect the question. Narien went quiet. And that was answer enough for Yuu.

The brat couldn't be trusted.


	4. What Now, My Love? (Explicit)

…..

**Chapter 4 : What Now, My Love?**

…

* * *

 

Lavi continued on, hoping to persuade the boy. "Hey, we want to help you buddy. And I'm sure Yuu would be more than happy to let you live with us –"

"What the fuck, Usagi!?"

"—but see, he needs to know if having you in this house is going to threaten the rest of us. So, all we need to know is three things: First, how did you escape? Second, were you with anyone or did anyone follow you? And third, do you have anywhere else to go?"

"Well, no, I have nowhere else to go," Narien said sadly. "I could always find a place, I suppose, but I came to your house because it was close and I was hoping I could hide out here. At least until the scientists stop looking for me… But my escape was…" He took a deep breath, looking nervous.

"I escaped on my own, if that's what you're asking. I had no-one I trusted enough to tell them about my plan to escape so…I'm sorry..." Narien's brown eyes began to fill with tears and he silenced himself, ending the conversation.

Lavi reached over the table again to pat the boy on the shoulder. The redhead smiled in understanding at the chocolate-haired boy, who was now pushing back his tears. Lavi looked to Yuu, still smiling brightly. Then before Tyki or Narien could comprehend what was happening, Lavi was talking in a low slur of Japanese to the midnight-haired NECO.

" _I don't trust him, Yuu_ ," Lavi said in Japanese.

" _Neither do I, Usagi_ " Yuu responded, flawless in his native tongue.

" _No-one escapes all by themselves. It's impossible. You tried before and failed and you're the toughest fighter I've ever seen. You and Allen needed to do it together, and Tyki and needed his brothers and sisters to help him escape. And just so we're clear, the reason you're sending Tyki and Allen out is so we can interrogate Narien, right?"_

" _Hn, what makes you think that?"_

" _Because I'm the smartest out of all of us, and you know that. I was with Master Bookman for too long to not be. Plus, Narien likes Allen and you're planning to set him straight about who Allen belongs to. I know iiitttt."_

Yuu glared at the redhead, and Tyki and Narien both floundered to understand why the NECO suddenly seemed so irritated.

Yuu reverted back to English once more, muttering "Smartass."

Lavi's smile just widened.

"Aww, Yuu! You're such an over-protective mate. So cuuutttteee!"

"Shut up!"

"What just happened?" Tyki asked his mate, cigarette dangling between his lips.

"Nothin' much. While you and Allen are getting medical supplies, Yuu and I are gonna have some bonding time and show our new lil' buddy around the house!"

"W-wait, I can stay?" Narien asked hopefully.

"Of course! You're welcome into this house!" Lavi said.

" _Said the spider to the fly…"_ Yuu muttered lowly.

There was an audible 'thud, thud, thud!' of feet on the stairs. Everyone waited in silence for a moment before Allen came flying into the room.

"Okay, I'm dressed! Let's go Tyki! Hurry! We have to help Narien !" Allen cried, sliding into the kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah, hold your horses," Tyki began, rising from his chair. He looked up, then froze in place, eyes trailing over Allen briefly. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or shake his head.

"Oi, boy, I thought you said you were dressed," Tyki teased affectionately. The boy was like his little brother, and Tyki couldn't resist making fun of him when he saw how the child looked.

Yuu, who had his back to the moyashi and the stairway, whipped around at the words – guessing that the moyashi had done something stupid, like throwing on another pair of pajamas.

He could've killed his little moyashi when he saw what he was wearing.

It was clear that Allen had rushed to dress, and in the process, had literally thrown on whatever he could find before running back downstairs. One of Yuu's T-shirts – the black one with the grey designs – was dripping off one side, showing that beautiful pale collarbone and shoulder that only Yuu was allowed to mark. A pair of Allen's jeans had been thrown on, yet the zipper was undone and a pair of black boxers was winking from the waistband. Allen's silver hair was mused and messed, and the moyashi was panting from the effort of running so quickly, his face flushed.

He looked like a fucking dessert platter – ready to be devoured until there was nothing left.

Yuu wanted to rip the clothes right off him, or at least that was the first thought. Countless fantasies flickered like film strips through Yuu's mind and he physically had to grip the corner of the doorway to prevent himself from grabbing the moyashi in blind lust.

There was a sharp inhale from somewhere behind him, and reality hit Yuu like a brick to the face.

 _The little shit!_    Yuu thought, whipping around with his eyes narrowed in fury and teeth bared. Just as he'd thought, Narien was staring at Allen like one would stare at a work of wonder. The brat's mouth was wide open and those dirty brown eyes were flickering all over his moyashi's form. A red blush was apparent on the NECO's bruised face.

Yuu was then struck with the dilemma of molesting the moyashi or clawing out the brat's eyes.

_Molest the moyashi?... Clawing out the brat's eyes?... Molesting?... Clawing?..._

"I am dressed," Allen said to Tyki indignetly, trying to do up his pants with urgent fingers. "Now come on, Tyki, let's go! We have to get some cream before Narien's ear gets infected and falls off!" Allen's fingers fumbled and the pants slid a little bit lower.

 _Allen…pants…cream… Molest the moyashi_ , Yuu decided, his eyes unmoving from the line of Allen's boxers.

Tyki chuckled out, "Allen, his ear isn't actually going to fall off. That's just an expression."

Allen blinked up at the elder NECO in surprise. "What!? Really? So his ear won't fall - "

Before Tyki could reply, Allen yelped as Yuu tossed him over his shoulder and headed for the stairs.

"Hey, Yuu, lemme go!" Allen whined, but to no avail.

"Moyashi!" Yuu hissed. "You call this dressed!? Fuck, you are such a tease…"

Lavi and Tyki starred in horror as the two NECOs disappeared from sight up the stairs. Narien was still gazing hopefully at where Allen had stood.

"Allen, he's so…so…" Narien began dazedly.

"If you say anything but 'adorable', I'm going to slit your throat and save Yuu the trouble," Tyki said nonchalantly. The casual manner in which the threat was said made Narien's blood run cold. Lavi just eyed his mate with a stunned expression, one eyebrow twitching.

* * *

The door to Allen and Yuu's bedroom was thrown open and then quickly thrown closed as Yuu uncerimoniously dropped his squirming lover on the bed. As Allen balanced himself, Yuu trailed his midnight eyes up from Allen's pale feet to his beautiful platinum eyes - the red scar on his left eye blooming into Yuu's vision as a spot of colour. The same colour he wanted Allen's hot little mouth to be when he had kissed his lips until they had become swollen, and the same colour he wanted Allen's cheeks to be when he took his moyashi's cock into his throat and...

Fuck, just picturing his moyashi naked made him so hard that it was painful.

He had only seen the moyashi nude on a few, rare occasions - usually when it was too hot to sleep in clothes or the rare time Allen didn't feel embarrassed about the two of them bathing together, and Allen would wash his long, cobalt hair and rub his wet, pale body against Yuu' s back as he did so. God, it always took every ounce of Yuu's control to stay dignified around his lover in the bath, especially when Allen told him to wash his silver-hair, and all Yuu could smell was his moyashi, and hear his little purrs, and see that pale ass hidden beneath his silver tail -

Fuck! The elder NECO purred lowly to himself and had to physically grip himself through his pants to stop from cumming at the memories.

He didn't miss the way Allen's eyes followed that motion, or the way his lover blushed at the sight. Seeing his naive little moyashi starring up at him, Yuu clenched his fists to stop himself from just ripping the clothes off of the boy. His lover deserved at least a small explanation as to why he had dragged him up here.

"Moyashi, I wanted to take this slow, but fuck; you're too goddamn irresistible…" Yuu muttered, his eyes bright with obvious lust as they his eyes roved over Allen's form again. The younger NECO was embarrassed when he realized that the look Yuu was giving him combined with the sound of his lover' s voice was making him, well, _uncomfortable_  in his, uhh,  _lower parts._

This happened sometimes, almost always when Yuu was close to him, but it sometimes happened when Yuu was gone and Allen had been day-dreaming about him too much. Allen always felt hot on the inside and he found the heat in his cheeks wouldn't go away when this happened, and what was worse, the ache he had…  _down there_ , also wouldn't go away. Allen didn't know why it happened or how to make it stop. He had actually been planning on asking Lavi if he needed to see a doctor -

But now, with his Yuu so close, the weird feeling was coming back and it worried Allen. But he couldn't tell Yuu this, not when Yuu's scent wrapped around him like this, making him dizzy, with his body pressed so close to Allen's own, and with those little brushes of Yuu's tail around his own -

Allen was getting, well,  _weird_  again and there was no way Yuu could not feel it.

Whimpering in mortification, Allen tried to push himself away, but the older man just wrapped a firm arm around his lover's waist and pulled him in close. A single growl, low and dark with desire, was enough to make Allen freeze and shivers run up through his ears and to the tip of his tail.

"Allen," Yuu breathed out and Allen whimpered again, platinum ears going flat as liquid-heat shot into his stomach and his cheeks.

"Y-Yuu, lemme go. I've gotta… umm… uhh… " Allen couldn't remember why he was supposed to leave Yuu. But he was supposed to do something about…something. He thought. Maybe.

The aroused purr of his name along with a sharp bite to his neck made Allen see white for a split-second as his knees buckled. A midnight tail looped around his thigh as he found himself being laid across the bed that he and Yuu shared. Yuu crouched over his mate instinctively biting and licking at his pale neck. Allen bit his lip and made a quiet sound in response.

Yuu felt like such a bastard for doing this, but Allen looked so fucking good and he smelled so good, and just seeing him wrapped in Yuu's own clothes was enough to make Yuu need to hear Allen moaning for him. Only him. That way that goddamn stray…what was his name? Fuck it, the brat didn't matter, not with Allen looking up at him like this.

"Allen, I want to make you feel good. I was planning on introducing you to this slowly but…" Yuu trailed off, his midnight tail stroking Allen's thigh in a longer stride as if hoping Allen would understand. The boy didn't, and instead brought his hands up in a weak attempt to push Yuu away.

The moyashi didn't even have any strength in his hands; he just simply put them on Yuu's chest and muttered out a keening, "Wait, Yuu - ngh, don't. There's something…"

"Hush, moyashi," Yuu purred unable to stand the sight of his lover like this. Aroused and needing him. His pheromones were taking over and all Yuu could see was Allen's temptingly flushed face.

"But Yuu, I think -" Yuu felt all his pheromones increase quickly as he spotted Allen's eyes filling up with tears. Fuck, no no no! Hurting your mate was never a good thing! Never Allen! No! Yuu tried to fight his instincts, tried to push himself out of the feral crouch he had over Allen's body, but his hormones seemed to have immobilized him.

"I think there's something wrong with me," Allen whimpered.

"Nothing is wrong with you," Yuu barked, growing slightly impatient. Perhaps he had said that with a little more force than he meant. Seeing the moyashi shake his head futilely, Yuu tried to gently lower his head to the Moyashi's left arm, barely holding onto his sanity at being so close to his lover's scent.

"Nothing is wrong with you. Not a single part, baka. Not your arm…" Yuu placed a kiss on it. "Not your eye…" A kiss was planted on Allen's eyelid. "Not a single part of you." A kiss on the lips, with a flick of tongue, as his tail entwined with the moyashi's own.

"But Yuu, I'm…" Allen blushed darkly, "I'm …well, umm... I'm…" He stuttered for a moment before clenching his eyes shut and admitting, "I'm h-hard down there and Idunnowhybutthereissomethingwrongwithme!"

The platinum-NECO cringed, hoping Yuu wouldn't be mad at him for ruining their time together. He loved Yuu and loved being near him and cuddling with him, but Yuu couldn't be with him if he was…well,  _like this_. What if he passed it on to Yuu accidentally!? Like a cold! He would never be able to forgive himself if Yuu was hurt or sick because of him!

Allen's eyes snapped open however, when a husky chuckle silenced anything Allen had been about to say. Then, Yuu pulled away and started laughing, his voice deep and loud as he rolled beside Allen and threw an arm over his eyes. Allen stared at him, both stunned by the beauty of Yuu's laugh and stunned at how much he felt like crying. Yuu was laughing at him; making fun of him.

The laughing continued for a full minute, until Yuu breathed out a sigh and smirked to himself. "Moyashi," Yuu said, amusement still evident in his voice and mingling with his desire. He turned his half-lidded eyes to stare at Allen. "That's supposed to happen when you're around me."

_... Wait... what?_

"It- it is?!" Allen said meekly, suddenly feeling incredibly dumb. Yuu merely nodded and then suddenly flipped himself over so that he had resumed his crouch overtop of Allen's body.

"Is that what's been worrying you, baka Moyashi?" Yuu purred, taking Allen's oversized shirt in his hands and throwing the hem over Allen's head. He tossed in an unimportant corner and then made sure Allen's silver eyes were trained on him before he licked one of Allen's nipples.

The younger flushed, having only experienced this with Yuu on a few rare occasions.

"Well, it's very normal," Yuu reassured, "and if it happens again, let me know so I can  _help you_." Yuu took that opportunity to let his full body weight fall atop of Allen. He ground his hips down and groaned at the sensation. Allen blushed a cherry red, feeling that Yuu was hard in the same place he was. "See? It's normal. After all, you make me like this all the time, moyashi."

"O-oh. But how do you make it, you know, not like…this?"

Yuu purred low in his throat, and Allen was too distracted by the sound to notice the way Yuu licked his lips.

"That's easy," he said nibbling on the sensitive tip of Allen's ear and making his moyashi mewl and buck under him. "To make it 'go away', you let me do this -"

And then Allen felt Yuu's hot tongue on his nipples again, and Allen couldn't help but moan. Yuu kissed each of the hard, pink nubs eying them through smoky eyes. Fuck they looked tempting…but, there was something that looked even more tempting to him, and he couldn't say no to that… especially since Tyki and the other idiots were still waiting downstairs.

Yuu pulled at Allen's pants, barely unzipping them before he tugged them off of Allen's legs and threw them aside. He continued his journey down Allen's chest, licking and sucking at as much of that ivory skin as possible. He gently ran his teeth over the dip in Allen's stomach before licking down to the barely-there V of his lover's thighs. Yuu pulled his mouth away for a moment, opting to trace his fingers over his lover's red, swollen shaft. He heard Allen let out a mewling 'aah!' of pleasure before he tossed his head to the side, as if trying to hide his pleasure.

"Allen," Yuu said, all too aware of how his voice had made his moyashi's cock jump, "don't hide your sounds from me. I want to hear your voice…  I love the sound of your voice," Yuu chided gently, palming his mate's erection with a little more force, and was rewarded with a louder moan and a buck in Allen's hips.

"Mmm, much better," Yuu praised, eyeing the way Allen's body was arched so deliciously for him. And then Yuu put his mouth back to use as he took all of his moyashi's cock into his mouth and sucked hard.

Allen screamed and bucked so far into Yuu's mouth that, if he hadn't been expecting it, Yuu would've choked. Locking a single arm across Allen's hips to pin him down, Yuu continued his task, unable to decide which was better – the taste of Allen down his throat or the utterly erotic noises his mate was making.

He hummed in approval at the thought of both, and Allen screamed again, clawing one hand into Yuu's unruly hair and the other behind him to grip the headboard as if it were his sanity.

"Oohh, YUU! Nya! I'm…ah...ah! YES! Ah ah NYAAAAAAA!" Allen moaned, struggling against the hold on his hips, feeling his eyes flutter as that hot, wet heat pulled him in and – Oh God! AHHH-AH! – made his body quiver and harden to the point of being unable to think.

Yuu's mouth was hot and wet as he wrapped his tongue around Allen's cock, licking at the top and lavishing strokes up the sides. Allen head was spinning and his lungs suddenly seemed not to belong to him. He couldn't get enough air; leaving him gasping and panting and nearly crying because the pleasure was so intense he could barely breathe.

Then he felt Yuu's long fingers tracing his balls, sending a jolt of electricity through his cock before a gentle squeeze made his world go white with pleasure. It was a few moments later before he realized that he was screaming Yuu's name and thrashing his head from side to side in uncontrollable bliss. Hands were suddenly pinching his nipples, tweaking them until Allen could feel the heat from their sting matching the hot, sucking heat of his lover's mouth on one of his most private places. He couldn't stop mewling, crying Yuu's name, and bucking his hips up for more.

"Yuu! I'm, I'm feeling…Oh! OH!…ah, ah!AHHH!"

Then all to suddenly, the heat on his cock was suddenly gone, leaving him to throb in the suddenly-cool air. He whimpered and mewled his mate's name, bucking uncontrollably and uncaring of how it made him look. He needed Yuu's mouth on him again. Yuu, he needed Yuu!

Then, a hot tongue lapped at each of his balls, a purr travelling straight from Yuu's throat to each of Allen's full testicles and making him cry out in euphoria again, going blind to the point where he felt like the colored lights would never fade. The sucking on his cock resumed and a squeeze to his ass, forcing his cock deeper into Yuu's tight mouth and fluttering tongue, made Allen scream as the heat inside of him finally erupted and tears fell because of the pleasure

"YUUU! Ah! Ah! NYAAAAAAAAA!" Allen screamed, arching hard as fluid rushed into Yuu's mouth and Allen's body tingled with pure heat. He was still gasping and mewling minutes later when the colored lights finally began to fade from his eyes, leaving him dizzy and weak and so high that he could barely blink.

Yuu purred around Allen's cock, causing the boy to weakly buck again as his ears went flat in pleasure. Yuu gently licked the remnants of fluid off of his lover's thighs, cleaning him and planting kisses whenever he felt like it. "Mmm, and  _that_  is how I'll be taking care of your 'down-there' problems from now on, moyashi."

There was no reply from Allen, and so Yuu pulled himself face to face with his lover to see why. Upon seeing Allen's flushed face, Yuu's tail began swaying lazily and he couldn't resist kissing Allen on the mouth. His baka moyashi was still so dazed that he couldn't speak. Pride swelled in Yuu's chest as he realized that his lover had just experienced his first orgasm all because of what he'd done.

Yuu had been hoping to show Allen what an orgasm was when they had time alone, to do it slowly and lovingly, and to ease his moyashi into what sex was. But after seeing Allen look so …so… well, he hadn't been able to help himself.

"U-umm...Y-Yuu?..." came the breathless voice.

"Yes, Moyashi?"

"Is that… n-normal… too?..." he asked between pants, his cheeks flushed cherry red and his moonlight-eyes slowly gaining their focus again.

"Che, of course, baka."

"So y-you'll…do…that, anytime I'm…you know…"

Yuu licked his mate's cheek, nipping at his bottom lip playfully. The proud swagger in his midnight-tail had yet to fade.

"Anytime," he promised huskily. "And next time, when it's just you and me and we don't have a table-full of idiots downstairs, I'll show you how to… mmm,  _do the same to me_."

Allen blush darkened in colour, but Yuu caught the way his moyashi's eyes flickered shyly to where they were still connected at the waist. His platinum-tail was beginning to sway gently, a sign of how Allen was curious if he could give his lover the same pleasure he'd just received. Yuu's eyes became half-lidded again and he moaned into Allen's lips - leave it to his moyashi to be so willing to please him, all because he was his mate.

Fuck, how in the hell had he gotten so  lucky as to have this moyashi as his mate?

Allen's eyes then widened as his release-hazy brain suddenly processed something Yuu had said offhandedly. His NECO ears perked to their full height before he let out a yowl and the slver-fur of his tail went crazy.

Yuu jumped into a protective stance over his lover, immediately facing the door in case someone had been retarded enough to think they could see his moyashi naked and live. Allen's next words cancelled all of Yuu's fears, however.

"Tyki and Lavi are still downstairs! With Narien!" Allen cried in horror, scrambling hastily to try and escape from beneath his lover.

He managed to wiggle from under Yuu's hold, and Yuu let him go as the elder flopped down on his side and just watched his moyashi's ass move. He licked his lips unconsciously at the sight, and smirked when Allen made it all the way to the bedroom door before realizing he was still naked. His pale-eared lover yowled again, his tail lashing around wildly as he searched hurriedly for clothes in the small dresser they had tucked into the corner.

"Y-You d-don't think they h-heard us? R-right!?" Allen pleaded, his voice at an embarrassingly high octave. Yuu just hummed under his breath and said nothing, watching the moyashi wiggle into his clothes. His midnight tail swayed seductively from side-to-side and his smirk revealed a hint of his fangs.

* * *

Downstairs, Lavi and Narien sat awkwardly across from each other, both unspeaking and sporting dark red blushes up to their ears.

Neither had known Allen could be so…loud. Very loud.

Only Tyki seemed to be composed, as he had finally grabbed the remnants of the bologna and was chewing on some casually. He was writing out a grocery list for when he had to take Allen shopping with him. As soon as the young NECO got back downstairs, of course.

_Bread - 12 loaves_

_Cereal - That crunchy-one Lavi likes_

_Milk - 6 L_

_Fruit - Whatever's cheapest considering Allen's appetite_

_Bologna - Lots of it_

_Ham - Same as above_

_Chicken - Same as above_

_Steak - Same as above_

Tyki surveyed his list with a furrowed brow, tapping his pen against his lip in thought for a moment, seemingly unaware of the horrified atmosphere of the room. Then, with a quick scribble he added two more items to the lists, just as a red-faced Allen came hurtling down the stairs.

_Condoms - Same as above._

_Card - to congratulate Allen on losing his virginity._


	5. Nobody Til Somebody Loves You

**Chapter 5 : Nobody Til Somebody Loves You**

**...**

* * *

An hour later, Tyki emerged from the grocery store and adjusted the collar on his white shirt as the sun's heat began to beat down on him. The Portuguese NECO was dressed in a stuffy outfit that he usually kept in the back of his closet; an outfit that he only dug out whenever errands needed to be run in town.

The outfit consisted of a pair of flawless black dress pants and the white dress shirts that Tyki loved so much. This was paired with a black tailcoat and a pair of polished shoes. A tall black top hat and a set of pristine gloves completed the look, although they existed to hide Tyki's wolf ears and sharp nails more than anything else did. The tailcoat was similar in purpose, as its long length was perfect for hiding Tyki's thick tail.

Any NECO who was without a Master was a walking target for humans to pick up. To avoid being targeted, Tyki had – before he had known the others – used this disguise on many occasions to fool humans into believing he was a wealthy human duke. It had helped him over the years not to be trapped by a Master, and after joining Yuu, Lavi, and Allen, he had continued the disguise with a slightly different persona – namely, he was a wealthy duke who owned NECOs of his own.

Through this disguise and the acting abilities he had honed over the years, Tyki had been able to help the others go into town without ever having to worry about one of them being kidnapped.

The door to the grocery store chimed suddenly as Allen came trotting out, carrying three bags of groceries.

Tyki winced at the sight, knowing the milk alone had to be ridiculously heavy to carry, and Allen was supporting all the meat products, fruits, and everything else they had bought.

Tyki quickly went to grab two from Allen's hands, yet failed when the boy managed to smack at his fingers without dropping any bags

"Tyki," Allen whispered lowly, "you're supposed to be pretending to be my Master. Walk a little bit ahead of me. I'm fine with the groceries."

"I know that boy, but the bags –"

"NECOs usually carry their Masters things," Allen said, as if Tyki didn't already know. "So walk ahead of me and let me carry these. I'll be fine."

"But they're heavy," Tyki whined childishly.

"My left arm is stronger than a regular person's though, remember?" Allen countered, gesturing with his head to his disfigured black appendage. The silver-eyed boy smiled reassuringly. "I. Will. Be. Fine. Now go, before someone gets suspicious as to why I'm giving orders to my Master."

Tyki sighed in defeat, trying to push the guilt out of him. He turned his back on the young boy and began walking away, muttering a soft "Stay close behind me."

Allen obediently did so, keeping in stride with Tyki's relaxed gait as his silver eyes took in the life of the town with eager eyes. He rarely went into town since it usually Lavi who went with Tyki. Still, Allen was amazed at how loving, friendly, and nice human Masters seemed to their NECOs, despite what Yuu had always told him about them.

They seemed so much… purer, than the human scientists Allen had known.

Even now, as he looked around, Allen could see a NECO and her Master laughing together as they left a hair salon, a young NECO boy smiling as he followed three human children into the grocery store, a human girl walking into a music store, two NECO men walking hand in hand with human women, a human man buying a large assortment of candy –

Allen stopped in his tracks, his eyes unblinking from the man in the candy store.

"Boy!" Tyki barked, his voice a perfect imitation of a Master scolding his NECO. Allen quickly ran to Tyki, who had gained some distance since Allen had been daydreaming. "What did I tell you about staying behind me?"

"I think that man is doing the same thing we are," Allen said quietly, so only Tyki could hear him.

Tyki's ears perked beneath his hat. His golden eyes swept the area quickly, but he saw no sign of anything suspicious.

"You think there's another NECO in disguise here? Who?"

Allen nodded to the man who was now leaving the candy store, nodding in thanks to the clerk. He was dressed in a spotless black suit and top hat similar to Tyki's own. He carried a brass cane in his left hand and white gloves were pulled over each of his hands.

"That guy," Allen began, "I'm positive I saw a tail under his coat."

Tyki eyed the man's back and his posture for a long moment then shook his head. "I don't think so. His posture is too good for a NECOs and his clothes are expensive, without a doubt. You do not see that with NECOs … well, unless his Master is impossibly rich. But that man is human, trust me. It must've been your imagination."

"But I was positive -" Allen whined, allowing Tyki to lead him again.

"Well, you were wrong. Loser," the Portuguese NECO teased, ruffling Allen's hair until it was a mess. Allen squawked and quickly tried to shake it back to normal.

"Jerk!" Allen said, trying to hide a grin as he nudged Tyki's shin with his foot. "You're so mean to me, Tyki."

The elder waved a finger gently. "That's Master Tyki to you, boy."

"Tyki!? Is that you!" a shocked voice cried. The two NECOs turned, and saw that the man from the candy store was standing directly behind them now.

Tyki, for the first time in what felt like forever, was speechless.

He floundered for words as a pair of stunning golden eyes – the exact same colour as his own – blinked back at him.

"…Sheryl?" Tyki said, his top hat going lop-sided.

A grin so wide it nearly broke the stranger's face bloomed suddenly, and then the man threw open his arms.

"My beautiful baby brother!" the man cried, and Allen was stunned when Tyki had to put a hand on the man's forehead to stop the stranger from kissing him.

The stranger struggled to push himself further towards Tyki, but Tyki just laughed – a jerky sound that slowly gained volume and mirth until Tyki was shaking with the force of it. Tyki soon pulled his a look-alike into his chest and hugged him, letting the strange man kiss his cheek instead of his lips.

Suddenly, there was a feminine giggle in Allen's ear. Yet before he had time to turn around, a pair of thin arms had looped themselves around his waist and a large shadow simultaneously loomed over his pale form.

"Uncle Tyki, is he your mate?" a girly voice cackled.

* * *

Yuu was stalking the kitchen, unable to resist looking out the window every few moments for any sight of Allen's white hair. Lavi sat bedside him, doodling on a scrap piece of paper.

"They'll be back soon," the redhead offered in a weak attempt to get Yuu to calm down.

"Shut up! I know that."

There was no sound except for the scribble of pen on paper and Yuu's feet tapping along the cold floor. Then one of his midnight ears twitched towards the stairway and the living room that descended from it.

"Narien, get upstairs!" Lavi shouted before Yuu could. "Yuu is still here! He'll catch you!"

The sound of feet running along stairs was easily audible, followed by the sound of a door closing upstairs.

Yuu and Lavi had finished "talking to" the brown-haired boy about an hour ago, at which point Lavi had told him that if he was tired, he should have a nap in Lavi's room.

Which was, basically, nothing more than Lavi's way to subtly hint that  _'You should stay upstairs until Yuu decides killing you and hiding your body from Allen is a bad idea'._

Yuu's eye caught movement in his peripherals. He immediately moved closer to the window, hoping it was Allen. He did not like being away from his moyashi for too long.

He caught sight of dark hair and a large bulky figure on the horizontal and all of his mental alerts went off.

"There's someone here."

Lavi turned at the sound of Yuu's voice.

"Is it Tyki? "

"No. Trespasser."

Lavi jumped to his feet with his red ears flying back.

"Humans?" Lavi asked, but was promptly shoved towards the stairs by the cat-NECO.

"Stay here. Guard the house and make sure the brat doesn't get out." Then the midnight-eared man was out the door, prepared to fight for the second time that day.

Lavi floundered for words, but then there were footsteps on the stairs and Narien bound into the room, gripping Lavi's arm.

"Allen?" Narien said, brown ears perking and his tail waving. "I'll go welcome him back!—"

"Wait! No, its not – do not go outside! Stop!"

* * *

"For goodness sake, Skin is always running off," Sheryl sighed out, lumbering up the hill alongside Tyki, Allen, and his daughter. The larger man had run up ahead, claiming to have smelled something tasty.

"Ah, don't worry," Tyki said. "The big man can do what he wants. I mean, its not like he will get lost or anything if he has such a good sense of smell. He can track us."

Rhode merely giggled, clinging even tighter to Allen's arms, making him wince. She hadn't let go of him since they had met, and he was beginning to lose the circulation in his arm. Still, he had failed to get her to let go.

Rhode's head suddenly snapped up to the horizon at the same time her father's did. Allen was minutely confused, and when he looked to Tyki for an explanation, he saw that he too was looking towards their home with a furrowed brow.

"What's going on?"

Tyki cast him a quick glance then took the lead up towards the house.

"Blood," Tyki said and Allen's heart pounded in his ears, blocking all other sounds for a minute. Then Allen practically tore himself from Rhode and ran. Tyki followed quickly, his family following close behind. Their feet pounded against the firm ground and weak grass as they hurried after Allen, emerging onto the tip of the hill and froze as the scent of blood finally hit his nostrils.

Tyki skidded to a stop behind Allen as soon as he caught sight of what was occurring outside their home.

Yuu and Skin were fighting like, well, a cat and a dog.

Yuu had a long gash running up his left arm and something akin to burns around his neck, but both were already showing signs of healing. Skin looked to be slightly better, covered in minor cuts with only one major cut showing sign of blood.

"STOP!" Tyki barked, and Skin dropped his fists. Yuu didn't move, still crouched in an aggressive stance and his pupils slit in suspicion. Allen bolted for his lover and glared at Skin for a moment before turning to face his lover worriedly.

"Yuu! Are you okay?" Allen cried, able to stand the thought of his mate in pain. "Skin is Tyki's brother! He didn't hurt you too bad, did he? Do you want me to get something to heal it?"

Yuu merely scoffed and stared at his lover. Allen's silver eyes never left Yuu's face as he waited for his mate to answer. After a moment, Yuu just scoffed again and stood on shaky legs. He shook off the weakness he felt before he suddenly felt Allen kiss his bleeding knuckles, licking the blood and dirt and stinging sensations away.

However, the tender atmosphere was popped like a balloon as Rhode burst over the hill and took in the scene for all of three seconds before she immediately let out an excited squeal.

Yuu pivoted and prepared to attack again, yet when he saw Tyki walking beside the young girl and another NECO who looked suspiciously like Tyki's lost twin, he paused.

Rhode, meanwhile, was now pulling on the arm of her father's shirt and was grinning like Christmas had come early.

"Ahahaha! Daddy! Daddy, I want him as my mate!" she said. She burst into another hysterical peal of laughter at the sight of how her Uncle Skin was bleeding from what could almost be mistaken as a critical injury. She tugged on her father's hand insistently again, yet Sheryl said nothing, merely eyed the Allen with a raised eyebrow.

Tyki's wide-eyed gaze quickly turned from a bloodied Skin, to a defensive Yuu, to a giggling Rhode. He had to admit, he had not been expecting to hear that from his little niece's mouth. (He meant the 'mate' comment, of course. Sadistic laughter at the sight of people bleeding was something you became accustomed to once you met Rhode.)

"Hmm," Sheryl began before sighing loudly, "sorry Rhode, but you know that Allen already has a mate. Daddy can't give him to you."

Rhode looked up at her father in surprise.

"Allen? Oh Daddy, I'm not talking about him," she scoffed out. "Don't get me wrong, Allen's cute and all, but he seems more like a big-brother type to me. I want that one –"she pointed a bright-pink fingernail and grinned madly "– to be mine. Heehee! The one who's face got all funny when he saw all the blood!"

Narien followed the fingernail's invisible path to his own chest, before he finally realized that Rhode was pointing at him. His chocolate eyes went wide at the same time Yuu's blue ones did.

 _If that brat has a mate of his own…_  Yuu realized.  _Then he can't lay a fucking finger on my moyashi._

"Since I'm the alpha in this house, I say he's all yours," Yuu said, before Narien could utter a sound. Rhode grinned before she ran over to hug the stunned brown-eared boy, plopping herself into his lap.

"Rhode! Be careful, Narien's injured!" Allen cried out, after seeing her squeeze the Indian-NECO the same way she had been squeezing him since they had met in town.

"Ooh, his name is Narien. Sounds sweet!" she crooned before turning her eyes back to the Japanese teen. "Hey, who are you, by the way?"

"Che, shouldn't I be asking you that? You're outside of my fucking house."

"Watch your language!" Sheryl barked, his teeth bared at the fact that this NECO had the audacity to swear in front of his innocent baby girl.

"Yuu, watch your swearing," Allen said, gently elbowing his lover in the side.

"Shut. Up." Rhode suddenly gaped with wide amber eyes. Allen was shortly afraid that Yuu had offended her, but her eyes were filled with glee. "You're  _Yuu_?  As in, Allen's mate?"

Yuu nodded once, suspicious as to what she was trying to imply. Before he could analyze her any further, however, she started cackling again.

"Oh my God! Allen, he is sooo good-looking! And he has such cool muscles! And his hair is sooo pretty! And he gave me a mate! Allen, I would totally hate you if you were not so cute! He is amazing! And tough! You are soooo lucky!" she cackled.

"I know," Allen admitted, with a pleased swish of his tail. "Yuu is wonderful, isn't he? And he's all mine."

Yuu tried to stay suspicious of the girl – really, he did – but upon hearing how she had praised him and made Allen cuddle into him like this, Yuu relaxed at the sight of her. He managed to suppress the smirk of masculine pride he was feeling, but his tail had begun to wave in approval of the girl.

She was… decent.

Sheryl's gold eyes suddenly turned to Lavi, who was standing awkwardly by Tyki's side. Sheryl smiled at him and held out a gloved hand, saying, "I'm sorry, but I never caught  _your_ name."

"It's Lavi. Nice to meet you," Lavi said gratefully shaking the man's hand.

"Ah, Lavi. It is a pleasure to meet you as well. You are another one of Tyki's new 'little brothers' I take it? Just like Allen?"

Tyki barked out a laugh before Lavi could reply. "Of course not! Allen is the only one who's like a little brother to me."

"Wait," Skin growled out, his gravelly voice silencing Tyki. "Rhode took that kid as her mate. And the kitty cats are each others mates, right?"

Tyki nodded in confirmation, used to his brother's dumb way of stating the obvious.

Yuu was about to cuss the larger man out for daring to call him a 'kitty cat' of all things, but was interrupted by the same gravelly voice.

"So, wait, is the bunny your mate?" Skin said pointing a large finger at the redhead.

Sheryl's gold eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. He let out a loud hysterical chuckle, patting his larger brother on the shoulder before saying, "Skin, for heaven's sake, you're so foolish sometimes! Hahaha. I mean, Tyki is a purebred NECO who comes from the prestigious No-Ah family. He's never taken a mate before, you know that, and yet you honestly think his mate is this scruffy –"

"Yup, Lavi is my mate. My bunny. My querido. My love. My everything. He's sexy as hell, isn't he?" Tyki said with his dark ears perking. He took Lavi's hand in his own, kissing the back of his palm.

Sheryl froze at the sight, his mouth parted in the middle of his speech. Tyki appeared not to notice, as he continued.

"So everyone, this Lavi! And Lavi, of course, this is my brother Sheryl and my brother Skin. Oh! And querido, you have to meet this pretty thing over here!"" Tyki exclaimed, running over to grab Rhode.

The second Tyki had turned his back, Sheryl and Skin both turned their eyes to the defenseless Lavi. The redhead felt his stomach twist at the looks he was being given.

Skin was scowling at him, grinding his large fangs together and muttering to himself. Meanwhile, Sheryl looked like he had just drunk sour milk, his mouth no longer smiling but puckered in what was clearly an unpleasant manner. And Lavi did not miss the way golden eyes flickered over his eye patch or his unruly red hair with distaste.

"Here we are!" Tyki said, pulling the young girl behind him. Sheryl was suddenly looking pleasant again and Skin turned to stare at the house. "This is my niece, Rhode! And my goodness, she is getting prettier every day, aren't you, cher? How have you been?"

"I'm great Uncle Tyki," the girl said, giving him a smile that could only be called sickeningly sweet. Tyki just kissed her hair, adoring the way she laughed at him.

He remembered how Sheryl had found the young girl one day after a potential bidding. Everyone in Tyki's old home had been of a special and incredibly rare bred of NECO that had been called "No-Ah". Because of this, all of them were incredibly desirable. Only 14 of them had ever been made, and it had turned out that neither of the potential Masters had been wealthy enough to buy Sheryl that day.

As Sheryl described it, he had passed by Rhode as she was hiding under a bench in a reception area. She had been playing and hide-and-go-seek with her handlers. Immediately, Sheryl had "fallen in love" with the girl, and before any of the white-coats could stop him, Sheryl had snatched the girl into his arms and had deemed himself her father. Rhode had not protested –in fact, she had become more obedient and less likely to torture her caretakers because of it – so no-one tried to separate the two.

That had been almost 6 years ago, and Tyki had felt positive he would never see this "family" of his ever again. And despite that, he would never admit it, Tyki had always had a soft spot for the girl… even if she did have some slightly sadistic ideas for games.

"Well, I hate to be rude," Sheryl began, "But, shall we take this inside? It is rather humid out here..."

* * *

Lunch came and went, and with the extra company, Allen had let Tyki and his brothers take the table while he and the others stood and ate off the kitchen's island.

Tyki had (unfortunately) dragged Lavi to the table with Sheryl and Skin. It honestly amazed the rabbit how Tyki seemed oblivious the dirty looks he was being given! Then again, Tyki was probably so excited to see them that he may have been doing it subconsciously.

Lavi sighed to himself, trying his very best not to let his ears fly to his skull as he collected the dirty plates from the table. He was doing this as an act of please-stop-looking-at-me-like-you're-going-to-kill-me, hoping to gain some respect from the two larger men.

It failed miserably, however, as Skin growled at him for taking away his plate before he had gone back for a third helping. In comparison, Sheryl had observed Lavi's fingernails as he collected his plate - noting that they had dirt under them and that they were calloused from years of writing and reading. Sheryl's expression was not one of approval.

Tyki sighed in happiness at the feeling of fullness in his stomach before whistling to get Sheryl's attention.

"So, you wanna go out for a smoke? I'm dying for a cigarette right now."

"Hmm, now that you mention it, a smoke would be lovely," Sheryl said. "It'll give us a good chance to catch up and discuss certain matters. Like  _mates_ , for instance."

Lavi couldn't help but wince at the tone. Tyki's eyes narrowed in confusion as he too caught the odd tone in brother's voice. Skin grunted, already moving up from the table.

"I'm coming too."

"You smoke now?" Tyki asked in surprise.

"No."

No more elaboration was given from the burly man.

"Ah…. Well, alright then," Tyki said, rising as well and leading the way outside, his two brothers trailing behind him into the orange and pink sunset.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Rhode leapt into the chair opposite of Lavi, eyeing him with a wagging tail. She stared at him for along minute, unspeaking, until Allen finally spoke to break the silence.

"Umm, well I'm going to go into the living room and bandage Narien's ear," Allen said. He looked to Narien, as if to ask if this was all right, and the Indian NECO nodded with a bright smile.

"Of course. Thank you so much," he said.

"No trouble," Allen replied, grabbing the ointment for the Indian boy's ear before nodding with his head for Narien to follow him. The brown-eared boy all but crawled after Allen, his eyes unblinking from the platinum boy's back.

Yuu moved instinctually to go after his mate, not wanting Allen to be alone in the living room - where there was a couch that could be used for all sorts of things – with that  _thing_ called Narien.

But, he had more fucking strangers in his house and they (unlike Narien) actually looked they could be a threat. So Yuu was forced to stay in the kitchen, where Rhode was in plain sight and Skin and Sheryl were clearly visible from the window. After all, Skin had been stronger than Yuu had anticipated, so who knew what the hell Tyki's other brother and his creepy daughter could do?

"So then!" Rhode began, eyes unmoving from Lavi's face. The redhead felt the need to run from the room, yet he couldn't fathom why. As if reading his thoughts, the girl merely smiled, her wolfish fangs causing more panic to rise in Lavi's chest. "Did you have a Master before you met Tyki?"

Lavi nodded, cautiously replying, "Yeah, I travelled with a Master – Master Bookman - for 8 years. He taught me a lot about, well, everything. Ask me anything; constellations, animals, history, medicine, and I can answer ya."

"Anything?" Rhode challenged. Lavi nodded at her. "That's so cool! Okay, new topic! How long have you and Uncle Tyki been screwing? You're the one on the bottom right?"

Lavi's face paled and his crimson ears flopped onto his head, disbelieving of what the girl had just said.

"Oi," Yuu snapped, "does your Daddy know you've got such a filthy mouth?"

"No. Are you going to tell him?" Rhode said calmly. Yuu eyed her and then shrugged. Rhode smiled at him in thanks, muttering a "Thanks Uncle Yuu!" before refocusing on the other NECO.

"So Lavi, was it? Back to answering my question! Besides, I just wanna know why he chose you," Rhode protested weakly. "Tyki's never taken a mate before, so you're obviously important to him. I just wanna know, since Uncle Tyki left us, has he gone soft and does he bottom now? Or is he still man enough for me to call him my uncle? Besides, I like you. I don't think Daddy or Uncle Skin do though…"

"No shit," Lavi muttered, more to himself than the young girl. "And uhh, wow, this feels weird saying this to a 10-year old girl –"

"I'm 12," Rhode pouted.

"—but no, I'm the, uhh, one who bottoms. Tyki is still, umm, on top?"

"Okay, thanks!" she chirped. "That's good to know. And do not worry too much about Daddy or Uncle Skin! They'll soon like you!"

"I highly doubt that," Lavi said, recalling how both men had gazed at him in disgust.

"They will, " Rhode insisted. "Because I like you, Daddy will like you. He trusts my judgment on people. Plus, all I have to do is tell Uncle Skin to like you or I won't share my candy with him, and trust me, he'll be nice."

The front door swung open and the lazy scent of smoke drifted in.

"Watch, I'll prove it to you!" Rhode said quietly, as if sharing a secret. She winked at Lavi, and before he could protest, she was already holding her father's hand and dragging him back into the kitchen.

"Daddy! Daddy! Guess what Lavi just did?"

Sheryl's eyes narrowed to slits, the gold in his eyes going to a dark bronze and Lavi immediately recoiled.

"Did he hurt you, baby?" Sheryl said in a barely-restrained tone.

"Haha, of course not Daddy! He gave me the last piece of cake! It was chocolate and it was delicious! He is so nice! Tyki is lucky to have a mate like him. I really like him, Daddy."

Sheryl blinked, looking stunned, and his eyes immediately became gold again. Seeing the change in her father, Rhode quickly continued.

"Too, he was telling me about all sorts of things! About places all over the world and how to say things in different languages and all about the stars and stuff! Oh! And wanna know what he told me Daddy? My name means 'beautiful princess' in a different language!" Sheryl eyes softened at the smile on his daughter's face.

Lavi felt sweat dripping down the back of his neck, feeling unsure of how to respond. First off, since when had he said any of that?! And secondly, he had never heard of a name quite like Rhode's before, but he was about 99% positive it did not mean 'beautiful princess'. In any language.

"Of course, my precious little angel. It's because a beautiful princess is exactly what you are," Sheryl crooned, nuzzling his daughter's cheek with his own. "Aww. What language was it?"

Lavi froze in pure horror. Shit. Rhode was going to get him killed. Sheryl was going to attack him and kill him and -

"Croatian," Rhode replied effortlessly. "Wanna know what he said your name was in Croatian?"

Lavi froze again.

"No, no, sweet thing, that's alright," Sheryl said and Lavi found he could breathe again. "As long as I know you're a 'beautiful princess' Daddy doesn't care what he is. So long as he gets to spoil his beautiful little princess as much as he wants."

The two wolf-NECOs then began 'aww'-ing at each other and crooning ridiculously sappy words, but Lavi was more stunned by the fact that Sheryl (at one point) looked directly at him and _smiled_.

It was true, Lavi noted, Rhode did seem to be making an impression on her father.

Still, that mistrust in Sheryl's eyes had not completely faded. It was still lurking in the background and Skin did not look any friendlier than he had earlier. Tyki just looked very confused in comparison.

"Lavi, I didn't know you spoke Croatian," his mate replied, running a hand through his dark curls. Lavi forced a smile on his face and tried to convey with his eyes that Tyki should _shut the hell up._

"Of course I do," Lavi muttered through clenched teeth. "I must've forgotten to mention that one to you."

"But you have a photographic memory," Tyki pouted. "Querido, -"

"Oh my gosh! Daddy! Daddy!" Rhode suddenly shouted, pointing out the window. "Look at the bunny outside! It's sooo cute!"

Sheryl immediately turned and Skin followed.

"Bunny?" Skin said, lumbering out the door with child-like fascination.

Rhode grabbed the large man's hand and followed him outside, muttering something about how the two of them should catch it. Her father swiftly followed, not wanting his baby girl to get dirty or hurt.

The door was left wide open and Rhode's gleeful cries began to fade as they went farther from the house. Yuu cursed to himself before swiftly going out the door too, following the idiots that Tyki called 'family'.

* * *

Lavi, now alone with Tyki, waited patiently as Tyki sauntered over to him, sitting down beside him and kissing his lips. Lavi allowed the entrance of his mate's tongue for a moment and snaked his arms around Tyki's neck. He pulled away to smile forcibly at his lover.

And then he kicked Tyki in the shin as hard as he could.

He was mildly pleased to note that Tyki fell out of the chair and cried out some sort of curse in Portuguese.

_Huh, must be the rabbit genes that make my kicks so strong…oops…_

Yuu suddenly strode back in through the door. He took one look at Tyki on the floor before pinning Lavi with his gaze. Lavi shrugged sheepishly, and taking that as a response, Yuu continued uncaringly past then, disappearing from sight.

"Querido, what the hell!?" Tyki said a moment later.

"You idiot! Don't you know when to shut up? Rhode was saying all those nice things about me and then you had to open that large, ridiculously talented mouth of yours! God, you almost made your brothers kill me! As if they don't hate me enough!"

"My brothers do not hate you, Lovely," Tyki said sternly. Lavi puffed out his cheeks in anger.

"Yes, they do! I mean, are you blind? The big one looks like he wants to eat me! And he calls me 'bunny'! And Sheryl looks like I … I… I don't know! Like I spat in my hand and told him to shake it!"

Tyki' s expression didn't change. Lavi's single green eyes narrowed in warning. If Tyki wanted to fight him on this, Lavi would fight with everything he had, and win.

And then Allen made a large squeak that was easily audible from somewhere in the next room.

The tension between the two lovers instantly dissipated as both swiveled to look towards the living room. Lavi couldn't help but roll his eyes, feeling more at ease now that Tyki's brothers were gone. The rabbit NECO whistled cheekily, muttering, "Damn it, Yuu. At least take it upstairs if you and the moyashi are going to do that!"

"What the fuck are you talking about rabbit?" the familiar voice snapped from next to his ear, making Lavi flinch at the sudden and unexpected proximity. He spun on his chair, only to see Yuu was frowning down at him.

Lavi's brow furrowed as he pointed at the living room.

"How did you get here so fast, Yuu?"

"Fucking moron I walked past you to get milk from the fridge. Now what the fuck are you two …"

Yuu's eyes suddenly shot up as he took a swift look around the kitchen and then to the outside window, where Tyki's siblings were running around animatedly.

A dangerous aura suddenly seemed to fill the air as Yuu turned slowly back to the red-eared rabbit. Tyki stood and inched himself before his mate defensively.

"Where the fuck is my moyashi?" Yuu demanded quickly.

"Don't you remember? He said he was going to put …ointment... " Lavi's face paled. " Shit. "

There came another noise from Allen in the opposite room.

Allen who was in the same room as Narien.

Alone.

All three NECOs seemed to instantly realize what was going on. Tyki grabbed Lavi's hand and ran for cover. Yuu ran for the living room, and saw red.

Narien had Allen pinned to the couch, his lips sealed overtop of Allen's.

Allen's silver eyes were wide, while Narien seemed too lost in the moment - his brown eyes closed in what was obvious pleasure - to notice how Allen was struggling to get out from beneath him.

"ALLEN!"

Narien snapped his head up at the same moment Allen snapped his fist into the other boy's jaw, scrambling over the back of the couch. The pale boy stumbled over his own feet as he landed, and then all but flew into Yuu's arms.


	6. One For My Baby

...

**Chapter 6 : One For My Baby**

...

* * *

 

Allen looked like he'd gone into shock. The fur of his tail was wild and said tail was curled around his body as if it could provide some form of protection. His silver eyes were wide and Yuu felt his mate trembling in his arms.

"Teehee!" a sweet voice suddenly chirped. Yuu didn't have to turn around to know it was Rhode. "Come see the bunny we caught! He's - What's going on?" She skipped up beside him, giggling, before she caught sight of Allen and the forming bruise on Narien's face.

Yuu didn't spare the girl a glance, choosing instead to clutch Allen closer to his chest and darken his glare at the NECO who was about to die.

"Uh-oh. Did my bad little mate kiss Allen?" Rhode said, sounding slightly irritated, but nothing more. "Narien, you've been very, very bad. I think I'm going to have to punish you."

Narien swallowed hard, gaze flickering futilely between the two NECOs, the doorway they blocked, and the windows behind him. His gaze dropped to Allen for a split second and Yuu all but lunged at the boy, pulling Allen into his hip to keep him steady.

Narien screamed in terror, throwing himself backwards and toppling over the couch as he did so. The Indian NECO clawed at the bay windows behind him, shakily looking back at Yuu and then, turning to face his attacker shaking his head in a beg for mercy.

Allen whimpered something into Yuu's shirt, and the feeling of small hands clutching at his chest was the only thing that stopped Yuu from following the brat over the couch and slicing him apart.

"You see what you've done?" Rhode sighed, skipping back to Yuu's side and pouting at the terrified Indian boy. She waved a painted fingernail, tutting at him, "Yuu is going to have to punish you too. After all, you tried to hurt his little Allen –"

"Bitch, either punish him or hold Allen while I do it for you" Yuu hissed, drawing out his claws and focusing his eyes on the pulse point in Narein's neck. It would not be hard to do; just one deep slice and the brat would –

"Let me punish him! You have to!" Rhode whined, stomping her foot. "He's mine, so I get to do it! Let me! Let me!" Rhode said sweetly. "If you want to take Allen upstairs, I'll take care of my bad little mate."

Yuu eyes narrowed and he spat furiously at the brown-haired boy who was now cowering behind the couch, as if it could protect him.

_Fucking worthless brat! I should kill him right now! But, Allen is..._

Yuu took one long glance at his moyashi, silver eyes wide and body still trembling in shock, and Yuu's decision of taking care of the brat or Allen was made for him. Yuu cradled Allen to his chest again and he softly explained to Allen that he needed to cover the moyashi's ears, for his own good.

Yuu was too lost in his own thoughts of murdering Narien to realize he had spoken in Japanese. Allen seemed not to notice either, as he did not push the large, warm, familiar hands from covering his ears.

Only then did Yuu suddenly spot that Allen's shirt was gone - someone had removed it.

Rage filled every inch of Yuu's body, hardening and tensing every muscle, lengthening his claws and his fangs. The only thing that kept him from attacking the fucking brat and destroying the house was his moyashi curled hopelessly against his body.

Yuu looked at the bastard NECO, the rest of his vision going black in barely-suppressed fury. He growled darkly, the sound ominous and unexpected. Even Rhode looked mildly surprised at the killing intent the sound held.

"You are going to leave this house.NOW," Yuu began, his eyes unblinking, "And if I come back downstairs and you're still here, I promise you no-one - NO-ONE - will be able to find the pieces of your body after I make you suffer and kill you -"

"Uncle Yuu," Rhode breathed out, eyes wide in what looked suspiciously like joy. "Wow, you really love Allen, don't cha?"

Yuu didn't reply, still focused solely on the Indian boy. Rhode giggled as the silence gave her all the answers she needed.

"Take Allen upstairs," Rhode insisted. "I'll take care of my mate, and you just take care of yours."

Rhode made sure the two lovers were gone before she skipped over to where Narien was hiding behind the couch, humming happily to herself.

"Y-y-you, w-wait!" Narien said. "I-I-I'm s-sorry but I-I-I don't want you as a mate! I only want Allen!"

Rhode froze in surprise at the boy's sudden cry. So her mate wanted to fight back, huh?

She grinned suddenly, the expression morphing her face into a mask of cruelty. Her gold eyes were now a dark amber, the colour of honey mixed with blood. Her pink lips stretched to inhuman proportions, showing her sharp fangs. Narien stopped breathing at the sight of her.

"Oh really?" she said. "Well, I guess I'll have to fix that..."

* * *

Yuu kicked the door closed with his foot, refusing to let go of his mate until he was sure Allen was stable. He stole a glance at the boy in his arms as they sat on the bed. Fat tears fell from Allen's wide, puffy eyes to trace cold patterns down his lover's pale cheeks and his trembling had yet to stop.

Yuu instinctively lay back on the bed, enclosing his mate in his arms and adjusting his body so that he was curled over as much of Allen as possible. Tucking his moyashi's head into his neck, he ran his hands over his mate's hair, down his back, arms, fingers, neck, and anything else he could touch. His dark tail reached out for the other's platinum one, but said tail flickered away, rapidly going from side to side as though it didn't want anything touching it.

Yuu realized that it was an instinctive thing – the tail was a vulnerable point and Allen was afraid. So Yuu held his lover, purring lowly so that the vibrations would carry into his mate's chest and calm his racing heartbeat.

Soon, even and warm breaths caressed his neck as the moyashi began to relax. The two stayed like that for what could have been hours or only a few minutes. Yuu lost track of time smelling his moyashi's hair and letting his chest rumble gentle vibrations into Allen body. His innocent mate lay limp in his embrace. The only sign of his lover being awake came from the warm breath on his neck and the clenching of Allen's hands in his shirt.

There suddenly came a kitten-like murmur into his shirt.

Yuu's ears swiveled towards his moyashi and he tilted the boy's head up slowly, so his moyashi wouldn't feel like he was trying to dominate him. He had to hold back his anger – he knew that. He had to ignore the way his blood was humming with violence and the desire to rip, claw, and curse.

He had to be calm, loving, and supportive – like a good mate would.

Allen deserved that much.

"He asked if he could see my arm," Allen muttered quietly, silver eyes refusing to meet Yuu's blue. "So I said yes... cause I thought… well, I took off my shirt so he could see it and he said he didn't think it was bad at all. Said he thought it made me special. Pretty. Made him like me even more."

Yuu bit back a violent curse, and listened intently to his lover, knowing there was more to come.

"Then he… kissed me. I dunno why," Allen said quietly, as if afraid that by uttering the words it would happen again. "I was surprised at first, so I didn't push off right away. He wouldn't listen when I tried to tell him to stop, but I didn't want to hurt him either. I was trying to figure out how to push him off gently when he tried putting his t-t-tongue in… in my mouth and his hands… h-h-hands we-went –"

Allen felt every muscle in his mate's chest tighten under his cheek. He nuzzled Yuu's neck, trying to ease the muscles there while also fighting back his own shock-induced tears.

Yuu unexpectedly kissed the crown of white hair and slid his fingers through it. Allen opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted by his lover's baritone.

"Moyashi, you don't need to explain anything, especially if it makes you uncomfortable. Just… be okay…" Yuu said, struggling explain how he felt.

"B-But, Yuu I -" There was a shaky inhale, a weak attempt at talking, followed by a pitiful whimper. Then, there was a sob as a tidal wave of hot, shocked tears overflowed in Allen's eyes.

Yuu gingerly turned his lover's face up to him, licking the tears from his moyashi's eyes. Allen pulled away from the touches quickly, looking up at his lover with pleading eyes.

"A-aren't you mad at me? Yuu, I'm so sorry I ch-cheated on you," Allen whimpered. Yuu's chest tightened as he pulled Allen into his arms again, muttering in slur of Japanese about how much of an innocent idiot his mate was.

"Baka moyashi, that wasn't cheating and in no way was it your fault. So don't you dare blame yourself for what happened," Yuu muttered, and his chest tightened again when Allen let out a weak laugh through his fading sobs, a pained smile carving itself onto his face like second scar.

"Bu-but I promised! When we f-f-first met! I promised not to be anyone else's! But he k-kissed me and –"

"Did you want to be Narien's mate instead?"

"NO!" he shouted, eyes wide at he gazed at his mate. "Yuu, no! I only want you! Only and always Yuu –"

"Then you never broke your promise. You did nothing wrong. If anything, this is my fault, moyashi. I'm…" the Japanese struggled over the odd word on his tongue "…sorry…. really I am. Fuck! -- I should've been there to stop it from happening -"

"No, Yuu! I'm sorry! Y-You were right –"

"Hush, moyashi," Yuu purred, gingerly reaching out to tuck the boy into his body once more. Allen stayed quiet and let his mate hold him, though his stomach was still churning with guilt.

Yuu was also feeling guilty. Fuck, his moyashi must've been so clueless as to what to do when that happened. Allen had never kissed anyone but Yuu (the Japanese NECO had made sure of that) and the Japanese also knew that Allen had thought of the brat as his friend. For the moyashi, having friend do that to him probably felt as though he'd been stabbed in the back.

Yuu inhaled his lover's hair again, looking down at the warm, limp body he held in his arms. Then, Yuu suddenly realized something and he let out a short, barely audible chuckle. Upon seeing the moyashi look up at him questioningly, Yuu couldn't help but smirk.

"You hushed when I told you to," Yuu said. Allen nodded, not understanding why this was so funny. "You're still obedient, moyashi," he hinted.

Allen realized what his mate was referring to in a moment.

* * *

" _You're cute," a 12-year-old Yuu boldly said, causing Allen's face to turn bright red._

" _Thank you," the younger NECO replied._

" _And innocent."_

" _Umm, thanks?"_

" _And obedient."_

" _Hey, no I'm not -"_

" _Shut up."_

" _Okay," Allen whimpered._

_Yuu just smirked, his dark eyes glinting as his tail took on a more pleased swish through the bars of his cage._

* * *

"I'm not that obedient," Allen whined quietly, feeling like Yuu was making fun of him. He pushed back a sniffle and began wiping the tears from his cheeks. "I just listen to you because I want to."

Yuu raised an eyebrow in amusement and chuckled again, challenging him. Allen sat up on his haunches and looked seriously at his Japanese lover.

"I'm not," he repeated, wiping the last of his shocked tears from his eyes.

"Get back in my arms, moyashi."

"No. "

"Now, moyashi."

"No! I'm not—"

"Now," Yuu ordered huskily, his blue eyes dropping to half-mast. Allen was ashamed to admit that his body moved to curl back into his lover before he caught himself. He hurriedly pulled away, hoping Yuu hadn't seen his slip-up, but strong arms caught him around the waist and pulled him back against a strong chest.

Yuu curled himself back around Allen, letting his platinum-haired mate soak in his scent and warmth and unspoken guilt for not having been there to protect him. Allen let out a half-hearted chuckle this time, thinking that maybe being obedient to Yuu wasn't such a bad thing. Sometimes.

He wiped the rest of the now cold tears from his face and made a small noise into Yuu's chest. He wrapped his pale tail around himself, listening to the steady and calming beat of Yuu's heart. Even through his lover's shirt, the heartbeat was so strong and so soothing that it made Allen feel safe and sleepy. He closed his eyes, letting the euphoric warmth of his Yuu's skin and his weariness lull him.

"Sleep moyashi," Yuu's voice purred to him, and Allen let the sound wash over him.

"Ok, but m'not doin' this cause m'obed'nt, s'just cause m'tired …" Allen muttered before letting himself drift into a sated sleep.

Yuu smirked at the statement before he tucked both himself and his lover beneath their thin, navy sheets. He let his own eyes drift close, the feeling of a warm body curled against his making him relax.

Both were deep in sweet dreams, blissfully ignorant to the outside world, when the first of Narien's muffled screams began from downstairs.

* * *

Yuu was the first to awake, snapping to attention as someone let out a muffled scream that was so loud it woke him. He moved to his knees, supporting his sleeping moyashi against his chest, before he remembered who was likely screaming and why.

He promptly 'che'-ed and sunk back into his original sprawl, curling himself around Allen's body and watching the moyashi sleep, his mouth parted and eyelids flickering ever so gently. The room had darkened considerably, though there were still faint traces of light coming through the curtains to let Yuu know that it was almost dusk.

There was another muffled sob from downstairs, thankfully quiet enough that Yuu barely caught it. Allen slept through it, unassuming and unaware. Yuu nuzzled his nose back into his moyashi's hair, content to stay like that and fall back asleep.

Then there was a scream, although muffled, that was much louder than the rest and Yuu's eyes snapped open again in irritation.

As satisfying as the brat's screams were, those cries of agony had been loud enough to wake him and were now keeping him awake.

And that meant they could possibly wake Allen too.

Yuu frowned, grumbling under his breath as he tried to figure out how he could possibly tell Rhode to silence the brat Narien without disturbing the platinum-haired NECO curled atop him.

Usually he and Allen slept on their sides, Allen's back curled into his stomach so he could loops his arms and his tail around his moyashi, keeping him warm and tucked to the wall where he was safe. (After all, with Allen like that, the only way someone could get to Allen was overtop of Yuu himself.) This made it easy for Yuu to move and adjust his position if the usagi tried sneaking into the room at night to steal his things or braid his hair.

But this – having a tear-stained Allen curled on top of his chest and his thighs - was a problem. He couldn't slink out from Allen's hold without forcing the moyashi awake, and if the moyashi woke up, he would hear Narien being tortured downstairs and he would force Yuu to stop it.

And Yuu had no intention of stopping it, even if Allen begged.

… A _lthough,_  he reluctantly admitted, _I'd probably have to fucking stop if the damn moyashi said 'please'. He knows I'd do anything for him when he says that._

The door to their bedroom creaked open, spilling light onto the darkened room. Yuu hissed in warning until he saw that the face in the door had an eye patch and a nest of red hair.

"Usagi, get the fuck out or lose your other eye."

The redhead ignored the threat, and for once, didn't bother to reply. His brows were furrowed in concern as he slipped into the room and sat down on the unoccupied side of the bed.

He reached out a hand to touch the white hair that was turned into Yuu's chest, and then seemed to hesitate as he dropped it quickly. His single green eye blinked slowly at the boy, his long rabbit ears trailing by his shoulders.

"Is he okay?" Lavi asked. Yuu didn't reply, wondering how the hell Lavi knew about –

"Tyki and I ran back into the living room when Narein started screaming'," Lavi began, as if reading his friend's mind. His tone was soft, to not wake Allen and his green eye dropped back to the platinum NECO. "Rhode told us why she was punishing Narien. I wanted to come see you both sooner, but Tyki told me that Rhode's punishments were never pretty, and you know that the only way up here is through the living room."

An odd, sad smile bloomed on the rabbit's face. He touched Allen's face, right over his blood-red pentacle for a second before pulling back again.

"Heh, I actually told Tyki to shove it. I wanted to see Allen, cause I knew that both of you were probably going through a hell of emotional crap, but Tyki insisted I go outside with him and let Rhode do her thing. Sheryl and Skin both had to drag me outta the room after that, just to get me to go outside and wait. Funny, how they didn't even look disgusted with me when they pulled me out...they just looked… sorry…" Lavi finished lamely, scratching his ears and covering his face as though he was suddenly overcome with exhaustion. By the time he removed his hands, his face was devoid of emotion.

"How long has Allen been out?"

"Dunno usagi. You tell me. How long has the brat been screaming?"

The odd, sad smile bloomed again. "About two hours. Rhode just finished, and came outside to 'proudly' tell us all we could come back inside. I don't know what the fuck she did, but we're going to need a new carpet in that room, Yuu. And something sweet to get the smell of blood outta there."

"How does the brat look?"

"Honestly? Bad, Yuu. Real bad."

"Che, good."

Both men nodded, silently understanding that it was what the other didn't say that was so important.

"We're all going to go out for dinner tonight. Sheryl is buying," Lavi continued softly, his eye focused on Yuu. "It's a rare treat, since we can't ever eat in town without getting worried. But with Tyki and Sheryl acting as our Masters, plus the money Sheryl has, it should keep us all safe and get us a good meal. Want to come?"

Yuu looked briefly to the boy in his arms and then met Lavi's gaze again. The redhead smiled, genuinely this time, before nodding at his friend in understanding.

"Gotcha. I'll bring back some food for Allen. I'll let you two get back to sleep. We should be back in a few hours so you'll have to fend for yourself for a while." Lavi looked to Allen, and then gently placed a loving, brotherly kiss on the boy's head before standing.

Yuu didn't hiss or cuss at Lavi for the kiss, just watched it with attentive eyes.

"Oh," Lavi began turning back to the NECOs before he reached the door, "just so you know, Narien is also going to the hospital, using Sheryl's money, to get fixed up. He'll miss dinner but he'll be back with Rhode and her family – briefly. Then, they're gonna head out and, you know, go back to their own place."

Yuu didn't move and didn't reply.

Lavi winked at the Japanese teen, asking, "Want me to trip Tyki while he's carrying Narien head down the hill?"

"Make sure the brat breaks his head open on a sharp rock."

"Mmph, Rhode has already fractured his head, and I dunno how I feel about seriously hurting him when he's already so injured. But for you and Allen, I guess I'll try my best."

Yuu's blue eyes narrowed slightly.

"Already cracked his head open? What the fuck?"

Lavi let out chuckle, but his eye was clenched in what resembled pain.

"I told you before how I learned some medical stuff from Master Bookman, right? How to stitch up yourself, identify injuries, stop bleeding, you know? Well, before Sheryl decided to take Narien to the hospital, he wanted to know what he was gonna have to pay for."

"Skip the shit, usagi, how hurt is he?"

Lavi winced before saying, "From what Bookman taught me…" There was a deep, shaky inhale as Lavi's eyes flickered upwards in remembrance.

"… Narien's got a fractured skull, two broken ribs, five broken fingers, a broken ankle, and a dislocated jaw so that …" Lavi looked like he was fighting back a look of fear, "… he can't kiss anyone but Rhode ever again. So yeah… ahem…"

Yuu tried to fight back a cringe of his own at the extent of injuries. There may –  _may_  - have been a hint of guilt in his chest, but he nodded at Lavi with all the confidence in the world.

"Che, don't stuff yourself on carrots, usagi."

"Don't wake Allen with your ugly, loud snoring, Yuu-chaaaan," Lavi hissed back, smiling at the two NECOs as he made to leave the room. Lavi held the door open for split second to say "By the way, you cuddling with the moyashi is absolutely adorable" before he quickly left.

Yuu scowled at the door, unable to do anything else. Sighing, he relaxed back into the pillows, angling his neck to watch the beautiful boy in his arms sleep.

* * *

 

Just over an hour later, the moyashi began to wake. His ears twitched as they took in the near-silence of the house and a minute later, his silver eyes fluttered open until they were half-lidded.

Allen blinked lazily at his mate's chest and the opposite wall. Then, not wanting to get up, he buried the side of his face into his pillow again, closing his eyes and mumbling incoherently about sleeping longer.

There was an affectionate chuckle from above him.

"You're cute when you wake up, Moyashi..."

Unwillingly, Allen groaned and opened his eyes fully, only to realize it wasn't a pillow he was snuggling into, but his mate's chest.

His sleepiness quickly faded as he was met with a pair of humored midnight eyes. Yuu watched with interest as the moyashi realized he was asleep on top of his lover, instead of in front of him.

"What time is it?" the silver-NECO asked, resting his chin on the Japanese teen's chest while fingers brushed his fingers through his platinum hair.

"About dinnertime"

"Really? How long have you been awake?"

"Only for the last hour or so. I would've gotten up, but I didn't want to disturb you" Yuu answered smoothly. He tickled the back of Allen's neck, making the younger NECO shiver and squirm. "Everyone else is gone out for a while, so its just you and me for dinner."

"Oh," Allen said. Then his ears suddenly perked up. "Ohhhh. How long are they going to be gone for?"

Yuu raised an eyebrow at his mate. "I dunno. A few hours. Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I was just thinking that –" Allen bit his bottom lip "—with everyone gone, you could teach me now…."

A confused frown was his only response.

"… teach me about, you know, what we talked about this afternoon."

Yuu's frown deepened and upon seeing it, Allen pushed himself off his mate's chest to look at him eye-to-eye.

"This afternoon, when we were in bed, you said you'd…  _you know_ …" Allen gazed at his mate, hoping he understood what he was trying to hint at. He didn't want to have to say it out loud. It was embarrassing.

Yuu merely cocked his head in the side in confusion. What had he said? He wasn't good with words, and the only thing he actually remembered from the last time they'd been in bed had been the sight of his moyashi crying.

"Che, what are you talking about?"

"You said you'd…" There was a shaky inhale and Allen looked timidly up at his mate through his eyelashes. "… you'd teach me how to take care of your, you know,  _down there problems -_  like you did to mine."

Yuu's eyes shot open unexpectedly at his moyashi's request. The sudden hardness in his pants tempted him.

Mistaking his midnight-eared lover's silence for a 'no', Allen quickly continued, saying "Yuu, you said you would! And I wanna learn how to make you feel good too."

There was still no response from his Japanese lover. Allen felt worry well up in him. What if Yuu didn't think he was smart enough to learn? What if he never could make Yuu feel as good as he had felt when Yuu had put his mouth on him?

"Please teach me?!" Allen cried, jumping to closer to his mate's side and looking at him pleadingly. He wanted to learn, he was smart enough to learn! He wanted to make his Yuu feel good!

He was suddenly pinned to the bed and Yuu's tongue was ravishing his mouth before he could say another word. He gasped as the wet tongue licked at his own, encouraging it to touch back and explore its owner's mouth. Large, calloused hands lifted Allen's hips, pulling them into larger ones and creating a hot friction that left him gasping.

"Yuu," he moaned, earning a husky groan in response before Yuu nipped at his neck, sucking on a spot that made Allen arch. The younger NECO bucked at the feeling of hard teeth in a sensitive spot, drawing another groan from Yuu as their hips rolled against one another.

Then Yuu sat up, ripping himself off the moyashi and turning his back to his lover.

"Fuck!" he shouted, and Allen flinched at the volume. Then, as swiftly as they'd disappeared, midnight blue eyes turned back to pin Allen in place.

"Stop! I keep trying to introduce you to mating and sex  _slowly_ , but then you look at me and I just – fuck! I just  forget anything except how much I want to claim you as fast as possible!" he said, turning to stare fiercely at his smaller lover. "So stop making such goddamn cute faces and making me want to ravish you! Because I love you so fucking much! And because I love you so fucking much, I refuse to hurt you by losing control! I refuse to ever hurt you! Do you understand that!?"

Allen just stared, wide-eyed and gaping at his mate. He couldn't think after that outburst, let alone nod in understanding.

Yuu cursed his lack of control before turning to the far wall, trying to slow his breathing. God, he was stupid. He'd just yelled at his moyashi for no reason and right when his moyashi needed him to be loving, calm, and fucking under control! Fuck! He really was too lucky to have the moyashi as his mate. Allen was too perfect, too irresistibly innocent for someone like him.

"Yuu?" came the timid request a few seconds later.

Said NECO exhaled as hard as he could, turning to slowly face his moyashi. Allen was probably scared of him now, wanted to leave the room and be away from him.

Bright, half-lidded starlight eyes looked up at Yuu, a soft smile gracing Allen's pink lips. Then, the boy leaned forward and kissed Yuu softly on the mouth, holding onto the feeling for a long moment. A silver tail looped through Yuu's longer and darker one as the moyashi's nose touched his own when the chaste kiss ended. Starlight-eyes looked into their midnight counterparts.

"I love you too," Allen said his smile widening.

Yuu's heart skipped a beat, and he found himself inhaling sharply.

There was another soft, sweet kiss from his mate, but Allen pulled back before Yuu could reciprocate it. So the elder followed the moyashi as he pulled back, moving so that he was laying across his lover to kiss him gently in return. The chaste kiss lasted only a moment, but when he pulled away, Yuu could see Allen was still smiling up at him with so much love, trust, and understanding that his heart skipped another beat.

He buried his head into Allen's neck, inhaling his scent and letting their tails caress. Allen gladly took the opportunity to run his fingers through his lover's long midnight strands, letting it sit in it's ponytail as he toyed with it. His midnight-haired mate smelled good too, and Allen let his own eyes slip closed as he purred out in contentment. Yuu was so good to him and such a loving, protective mate. Allen didn't ever want anyone but Yuu to kiss him again.

"Moyashi?"

"Nya?" the mewl slipped out before he could stop it. Yuu smirked at the sound, before cradling himself over his lover, staring seriously into his eyes.

"Che," there was a heavy sigh, as if Yuu thought he would regret this later. He murmured, "Do you really want to learn how to pleasure me?"

Allen quickly pushed himself up, grabbing his lover's hand and nodding encouragingly. Yuu had to clear his throat before continuing. This wasn't about his needs, it was about the moyashi's and he damned well wanted to make sure his baka mate understood that. Yuu was not going to force his moyashi into this.

"Are you sure?"

A nod.

"Positive?"

Two nods.

"I mean, moyashi, I'm more than willing to teach you – trust me. But after the whole incident you just went through are you sure, you're going to be okay? With doing this?"

"It would help me forget about Narien, you know…" Allen trailed off, hoping his lover would let him.

There was a momentary twitch of Yuu's eyes, and a murmur that sounded suspiciously like 'manipulative moyashi' before the Japanese NECO sighed loudly. He tugged the elastic from his hair, letting it curtain around his broad shoulders. He nodded at Allen as he shifted to sit face to face with his lover.

"Che, alright, I'll teach you."


	7. That's Amore (Explicit)

…

**Chapter 7 : That's Amore**

…

* * *

 

Yuu removed his shirt and fixed his lover with a questioning look. However, it immediately melted when he saw the eager look in his moyashi's eyes, causing him to smirk.

"Alright, I'll teach you. But first, you need to make your partner aroused."

"So, make down there hard? Like –"

"Exactly like that moyashi," Yuu said, smirking as the memory of what they'd done that morning flowed back to him.

"Well, touching and kissing you usually makes me like that -"

Yuu's smirk widened at this confession. "That's good to hear, but you want to the person you're pleasuring to get hard too, moyashi."

Allen nodded eagerly, asking "How do I do that?"

Yuu let his eyes drop to half-mast, purring out a challenge. "Figure it out."

At this, Allen eyed his mate – who was bare-chested and had a smouldering look in his eyes - and the young NECO found himself unsure of where to begin.

He wanted to touch his Yuu everywhere, but where to start? His muscled arms? His tattoo-marked chest? His firm abs? Or lower – the thought made Allen blush but he wanted to touch his lover there too.

Or was he supposed to kiss him to start? Was that the proper way to do it? Or could Allen just…start, on Yuu's down-there side?

Seeing his moyashi's eyes flicker all over his body for a full minute, Yuu chuckled to himself. The Japanese teen craned forwards, breaking the spell Allen had been under.

"Moyashi, you're thinking too hard. Just do what your instincts tell you to. If your instincts tell you ' _This feels uncomfortable_ ' then don't do it. If they say ' _This feels good'_ then keep doing it. It's not that hard to follow."

"Instincts? Okay, right! Instincts…"

Allen nodded in understanding then closed his eyes to try and summon his instincts... It was harder than he thought, he realized after a few seconds.

He jumped as he felt the bed shift again as Yuu softly bit the tip of his triangular ear.

"You're still over thinking," Yuu said lowly. "You don't need to be shy, just touch me wherever you want. In the end, we'll still end up at the same place."

Allen flushed in excitement, but found his thoughts became muddled at the husky, promising tone of his lover's voice.

Allen kept his eyes shut and blindly swung an arm at his lover in response in order to quell his thoughts. After hushing him, Allen went very still and very quiet. He remained like that for a few long moments, until Yuu was just about to scold him again.

Suddenly, his silver eyes suddenly shot open and his ears perked to their full height. He leapt off the bed to crouch on all fours on the floor, his eyes starring up at his lover. His tail was dancing from side to side.

"Chase me," Allen said, grinning.

Yuu moved off his elbows to raise an eyebrow, looking down at his moyashi.

"… What?"

"Chase me!"

Allen made another jump backwards, and then faked left before moving swiftly to the right. Yuu could only watch his mate in disbelief. He looked like a kitten that had too much catnip. It was odd to watch and Yuu felt his desire begin to wane a little.

"Moyashi, this is what your instincts are telling you?"

"Yeah! You said to just do what they told me and there saying _'Play with him. Make him chase you_ '."

Yuu huffed out a sigh and watched Allen jump over the end of the bed and go scuttling up to his lap before leaping off the bed again.

"Moyashi, this isn't what I had in mind –"

Allen hid behind their bedside table before jumping over crouch by their dresser. Yuu's eyes immediately stilled on the boy as he noticed the position his moyashi was in.

Allen was crouched low to the ground, his ass high in the air and directly in Yuu's line of vision. His long, silver tail was swinging past his black-clad rear, and the contrast of dark and light made it impossible for Yuu to tear his eyes off his mate's inviting backside.

Allen raised his rear and looked over his shoulder, then dropped it low again as he rocked back on his heels and his tail continued to dance around him.

Allen leapt again, turning so that he was now facing his lover. The cheeky smile was still perched on his lips and his pupils were dilated with a mix of arousal and adrenaline. His ass was still high in the air, begging for someone to take hold of it, as Allen slowly crawled towards his lover, inching back towards the bed in a sultry crawl.

Yuu felt his lust return and his own instincts beginning to kick in at the submissive sight. It made him want to do something to force Allen to be even more submissive for him. Only him.

"Catch me," Allen mewled and flicked his tongue out to wet his lips. His cheeky smile grew wider before the platinum-NECO dove out their bedroom door.

Yuu was after him like a bullet.

The elder NECO skipped the stairs three at a time and used his feet to push off the couch as he hit the living room. There was a clatter in the kitchen and Yuu shot after it, not stopping his movements as he leapt onto the counter, crouched on all fours to spy his moyashi low to the floor. Both NECOS froze briefly, eyes locked and tails flicking at the air, as if searching for a partner to entwine with.

Allen gazed up at Yuu from the bottom of their island, already breathing heavily and his eyes flickering left and right for an escape. This game was getting his blood pumping, a mix of arousal and simultaneously wanting to win. Yuu growled warningly and received a very breathy gasp from Allen in response.

Yuu caught the movement of his lover's eyes as the silver orbs glanced to their front door. Yuu moved to block the door just as Allen leapt at it.

Allen  _– That little tease_ , Yuu cursed – used his momentum to leap-frog over his mate's head and throw open the door, disappearing quickly into the fading light. Yuu reached for his moyashi, barely grazing his tail, before taking chase outside.

Feeling the nip of cooling, fresh air on his skin only made Yuu more determined as he took after the white blur that was dancing across their lawn. He felt animalistic, dominating, like he was hunting prey that was going to be all to thrilling to take down.

 _A piece of prey with a delicious body,_  Yuu thought, his pupils dilating at the thought of what would happen once he'd pinned his moyashi. He sped up, determined not to let Allen get too far.

Allen dashed around one side of their house, evading him once again. Yuu skidded around the side lawn, jumping at Allen and barely missing him.

They danced around each other in a flirty game of cat and mouse, growling and teasing each other, until Allen jumped through the open front door. Yuu threw his hands out to stop himself from running into the doorframe then shot off after his lover. He headed for the bedroom, hearing Allen skittering up the stairs. He jumped them three at a time, and felt victory thrum in his blood when he reached the top step, just as Allen slipped on the hardwood.

His mate landed on his knees, still skittering to try and escape him. Yuu tackled his mate without a second thought, wrapping his hands around pale limbs as they rolled and struggled until they collided against the wall.

Yuu assumed a dominant position over the younger boy, who was gazing up at him with a panting chest and pupils that nearly blacked out his silver iris.

Yuu pinned his lover, firm and strong as he growled at him from his dominant position. At the sound of the growl, Allen's eyes fluttered and he mewled in submission. Yuu crushed his mouth onto his lover's, tasting Allen's tongue flick back at him. The platinum-haired boy moaned and Yuu greedily drank in the sound. Without removing his lips from his mate, the elder pulled them both into the bedroom.

He moved his young mate onto the bed, pushing them both onto the soft covers as they grabbed at one another.

Yuu kissed his moyashi fiercely and was rewarded with a high mewl that spiked his arousal. Those wet and pliant lips opened for him, a pink tongue flickering at his own, and those mewls and murmurs coming from Allen's throat – it was all driving him crazy. It took all of his self-control to pull away from his lover. Once he'd steadied his breathing a little, the Japanese husked out "Still want to learn how to please me?"

Allen nodded, his eyes glazed but his enthusiasm all too evident. Yuu flipped them so that Allen was now the one on top. The Japanese teen licked his lips and guided Allen's head down to his pants. He unzipped his fly and thrust up so that his boxers grazed the other's face.

"Suck," Yuu said. Allen whimpered eagerly and quickly pulled down his lover's boxers, pausing only when his mate's hard length popped out and Allen was forced to stare at it.

"H-how?" Allen asked, hesitation taking over him briefly as his gaze flickered to his lover.

"Instincts. Suck." Yuu said briefly, thrusting up again. He felt as though he would go crazy unless Allen did something to him.

Allen nodded shyly and then looked back at Yuu's body. Then Allen's mouth, hot and wet, was wrapped around his cock and sucking and licking and -

_Fuck, that's good!_

The moyashi's tongue was fluttering all over the shaft in his mouth, licking everything he could and suckling greedily. His lips and tongue shifted constantly, as if he were desperate to take in as much of Yuu as he possibly could.

The slick heat was divine, causing Yuu to let out a quiet moan and placed his hand on Allen's shoulder. His moyashi was so good to him. He was so lucky to have him as a mate.

Allen's silver gaze shot upwards at the moan, raising his head to see if he was pleasing Yuu. Unintentionally, the action made his teeth graze the shaft in his mouth and the elder NECO yelped.

Eyes wide in mortification, Allen quickly pulled his mouth off his mate. With his lips red and swollen, the silver-haired boy mumbled out a string of apologies. His face was flushed a dark pink, silver ears thrown back, and he looked for all the world like he was going to cry.

"I'm sorry Yuu! So sorry! I'm so so sorry, Yuu!"

Taking a moment to compose himself, Yuu leant up on his elbows and swiftly combed his fingers through Allen's hair. He kissed his lover to quiet his cries.

"Moyashi, it's okay. You just have to watch your fangs."

Allen looked to the far wall, feeling incompetent and ashamed. Yuu kissed him again to regain his attention.

"Moyashi, what you were doing felt good but you need to go by your instincts. I know you're eager," he smirked and nudged his partner's nose with his own, "but take it slow. Do what you instincts tell you will feel good."

"But how do I get better at it? Like you?"

Yuu blinked dumbly at his mate for a long moment before a smirk touched his face.

"Che. I'm that good huh?" Allen blushed at this, but Yuu kept their eyes locked. "Moyashi, do you honestly think I had ever taken anyone in my mouth before I did it to you this morning?"

Allen's eyes widened at this realization, his blush darkening.

"Oh... well no…"

"Exactly. All I knew was that I loved you, you're my mate, and my instincts were screaming for me to make you feel good. You just have to follow your instincts now and let them do the same."

Yuu kissed him slowly and deeply, pulling away to lean back against their headboard again.

"Now, do you want to try again? Or do I need to chase you around the house again to get you excited?"

Allen hesitated for only a second before crawling back in his lover's lap, taking Yuu's shaft in his hands gently. Looking up briefly to see blue eyes staring back down at him, Allen turned to the organ in front of him.

The silver-haired NECO took a deep breath and slowly exhaled; smiling softly at himself as he felt his body begin to move on its own, his mind filling with ideas of what would make his Yuu, his beloved mate, feel good.

He hadn't noticed that little voice before – he'd been so eager to just take Yuu in his mouth that he'd ignored everything else. Feeling reassured, Allen put his face between his lover's legs and gave the head of Yuu's cock a shy lick.

Yuu felt warmth fill his gut then quickly fade at the act.

Allen licked at his cock again before licking his own lips, getting used to taste of Yuu's fluids. Allen continued to give kitten-like licks to his mate's length, and Yuu stroked his hands through his hair to encourage him that it felt good.

Then, unexpectedly, Yuu moaned when Allen sucked the head of his cock between his swollen lips, tongue sloppily laving at the slit as pale hands planted themselves on his thigh and at the base of his arousal. Allen began suckling again, but this time with more control and every bit of enthusiasm he had before.

Allen squirmed against the bed-sheets his own arousal climbing at every moan Yuu made, and he arranged himself comfortably on his lover's shaft – bobbing and suckling at it while his hips shifted against the bed.

For Yuu, the feeling of his moyashi's mouth was incredible, making him moan repeatedly and his hips twitch, dying to buck upwards. He wanted to fist his moyashi's hair and push his mouth all the way down his length, making his mate suck all of him just he was doing to his crown. Yuu resisted the urge by some miracle, knowing that if he bucked his hips he would only hurt his moyashi.

Allen made a shocked noise when his mouth flooded with Yuu's pre-ejaculate as he sucked on his mate. He figured he gotten the hang of it when Yuu rested his hand on top of his pale hair and repeatedly moaned for him. Pleased that he was making his mate feel so good, he took more of Yuu into his mouth, his lips unexpectedly meeting the top of his fist. Frustrated that his hand was in the way, Allen moved it to rest on Yuu's thigh then eagerly took the rest of Yuu down into his throat.

Yuu felt the head of his cock slipping deeper into Allen's passage, milking him every time his mate took more of him in with a needy whine. Blue eyes fluttered back into his head, unbelieving that his innocent moyashi had managed to deep throat him so easily. He moaned roughly, unable to stop the tilt of his hips as they bucked upwards. Allen took the thrust with ease, and then began bobbing hungrily, as if asking for more.

Yuu lost control, bucking his hips into his moyashi's throat. He savored the hot feeling of Allen's throat giving way for his length and feeling his mate humming, sending vibrations up his shaft and into the growing heat in his stomach.

_Fuck, how is the moyashi so good at this? Fuck Ahh-ahh! AAHHHH!_

Yuu kept thrusting, gaining force and speed while Allen kept suckling and bobbing, taking as much as he was being given. Just when Yuu though his moyashi was going to make him lose control, lose everything down his mate's wet throat, Allen gagged and his hands shot to Yuu's hips.

Immediately Yuu framed his mate's face with his hands and pulled him back, not wanting to choke him. Allen's mouth slipped off Yuu's cock with a wet 'pop' and he began rubbing his thumb and fore-finger against his jaw.

Yuu had to bite his tongue to ignore the throbbing of his dick in the cool air, alongside the voice in his head that told him to make his moyashi finish what he'd started. The Japanese NECO shook both off – his mate was always going to be his first priority.

"Are you okay, moyashi?"

Allen coughed once, still touching his jaw. But then he smiled up at his mate, and Yuu took note of how his silver-eyes were bright with pleasure. His mate's silver tail was flicking at the air swiftly.

"My jaw hurts," Allen confessed, still smiling at him. "I like the way you taste but you're really big." He giggled, and then eyed Yuu's cock hungrily again, wetting his lips with his tongue.

Yuu felt a wave of lust and love run through him. As tempting as it was to let Allen go back to sucking him….

The Japanese NECO forced his mate onto his back and assumed a dominant position atop his lover's pale body. He dropped his weight and ground down onto the younger boy.

He licked at Allen's lips before purring, "Maybe I'm big like this because of a certain moyashi. One incredibly sexy, hungry moyashi who was sucking on my cock with his sweet little mouth." He growled out a note of arousal. 

Allen shuddered at the husky voice and words, arching up and mewling for more. Yuu let out another dominating and rough growl, watching how his lover arched up at the mere sound with a thrust of his pale hips.

"Hmm, looks like I'm not the only one who got hard from a moyashi sucking my dick. You're horny now too, aren't you?" Yuu licked up his moyashi's neck, loving how his mate willingly threw back his head and gave him complete access to his vulnerable throat.

He nipped roughly at a silver ear, before licking at it and whispering, "I'll do something really nice for you now moyashi, since you were so good to me."

Allen moaned out in a shaky exhale. "Please! Please Yuu!"

Yuu dragged his hands and lips down the boy underneath him, not stopping until his face was at Allen's pants. Nipping at a pale hipbone and hearing a gasp and moan above him, Yuu's fingers continued downwards, stroking a smooth line overtop Allen's pants and down to trace where his moyashi's hole was hidden.

Allen began squirming at this, breathing heavily.

"You want me in here, moyashi?"

His young mate panted out a 'yes'.

"Want me to lick you the way you licked me?"

Allen nodded feverishly, bucking his hips again.

Satisfied that his lover was ready and willing, Yuu stripped off his moyashi's pants and boxers. He gladly eyed his lover's pale body and how it contrasted beautifully with his moyashi's flushed red cock, laying against his stomach and twitching when Yuu set his eyes on it.

Leaning up to kiss his moyashi briefly, Yuu made sure he had his lover's eyes on him before he spoke next.

"Moyashi, remember how I told you I wanted to introduce you to mating and sex slowly?"

"Uh-huh," Allen breathed.

"What we just did was part of mating, but I want to warn you that sex is something different. Something more. Although it'll hurt at first, it feels even better than sucking each other."

Allen was flushed and panting. He nodded quickly at his mate's words, eyes brightening.

"I know you'd never hurt me, Yuu. So can we do that? Sex, I mean?"

"Of course," Yuu purred, licking his moyashi's parted lips. '"That's what mates are supposed to do."

The Japanese teen shed his own pants and boxers on the bed, tossing them off before refocusing on his delicious little mate. "This will hurt a little, but I'll try to distract you so you don't feel it."

"Don't feel wha-AAAHH!"

Yuu took his mate's cock into his mouth, repeating the motions Allen had done to him only moments ago. The moyashi was left mewling and panting and crying in pleasure, until Yuu pressed two fingers against his panting lips.

"I need you get these wet, moyashi," Yuu said after pulling off his mate. "Make them as wet as possible. Pretend it's my dick if you want," he teased. Allen gasped but then eyed the fingers hungrily and took them into his mouth.

Yuu groaned around his moyashi's shaft, making Allen gasp and moan around Yuu's fingers. They continued to lick and suck at one another until Yuu felt saliva dripping off his fingers. After that, Yuu pulled off his lover, ignoring the cry from the younger NECO as he did so.

Gingerly, he rubbed his fingers around Allen's hole, feeling the boy tense. Yuu nipped at his mate's still-forming abs, muttering "relax" as his lips touched pale skin. It seemed to help as he felt his lover's hole loosen under his fingers.

He slid one digit in and Allen wiggled, seeming to feel okay. Yuu eyed his mate for any signs of pain as he slid in two fingers, twisting and scissoring. Seeing none after a short while, he soon rewet his fingers and pushed in a third shortloy after. Allen hissed immediately.

Suckling at his lover's shaft as he opened him up further, Yuu was pleased to hear Allen mewl for more and buck upwards. Once he had three fingers sliding in and out of his lover's hole, Yuu pulled off his mate's shaft and lined himself up with his moyashi's entrance.

Midnight blue met silver as their eyes met. Allen lay beneath his mate, panting and flushed as he gazed up at Yuu, who was curled overtop him with a dark curtain of hair streaming down.

"You ready, moyashi? This is going to hurt."

A small smile touched Allen's face. He reached up his arms to wrap around his beloved's neck. "Please Yuu, do it now. I need you"

Yuu kissed his lover soundly on the mouth, and then inhaled sharply as he slid in as gently as he could. He felt Allen's muscles tighten around him as the platinum-haired boy cried out, but then the muscles gave way and Yuu was trying his hardest not to just buck his hips and thrust hard into the hot heat of –  _God, Allen…_

Moving with as much control as he could muster, Yuu sheathed himself inside his mate. He paused once he was fully inside, then Yuu moved up his moyashi's body to kiss at the corner of tear-filled eyes. "Just hold on, the pain will pass."

Allen nodded and sunk his teeth into his mates shoulder, his eyes squeezed shut.

Yuu kissed him again, praying that he wasn't lying to his moyashi about the pain.

He only knew what he'd been told by Lavi and from snippets of gossip he'd picked up over the years. He knew no more about mating than Allen did, but he prayed the pain would pass quickly. He knew there was nothing he could do but wait.

And so both NECOs waited patiently for Allen's pain to pass, kissing and shifting their muscles cautiously every now and again. Still, neither one moved.

After a minute, Allen unexpectedly let out a short, bittersweet chuckle. He shifted his muscles experimentally. Yuu had to swallow a groan at the sensation.

"The pain is gone now, Yuu. It feels… really good actually. I'm sorry I made you wait so long, but I told you that you're big," Allen said cheekily into his mate's neck. He nipped at it then licked the flesh of his lover's throat, following the wet path with passioante kisses.

Yuu felt himself relax. "And I told you that it's because I've got a moyashi wrapped around me," he husked back. "You're too tight; all this waiting is your fault."

Allen nipped his throat again, as if to protest, and Yuu took it as a sign to thrust into his lover. Allen gasped and arched beautifully under him.

"More! Yuu, do that again!"

Smirking to himself, Yuu did as his lover asked and was rewarded with another cry of pleasure. He thrust in gently then worked up a faster pace, feeling Allen sink his nails into his back and tighten his legs around Yuu's hips.

He thrust into Allen's passage at one point, and Allen clenched around his shaft and the silver-eared boy screamed. Yuu gasped at the feeling and the sounds, and then felt lust overtake him when he realized his mate was screaming in pleasure.

He pulled his moyashi's hips higher up on his back, pounding at that same angle but a stronger pace. The same beautiful scream and clenching of muscles accompanied it and Yuu soon was lost in his instincts.

The bed frame shook with each thrust. Yuu pounded harder, deeper, faster, fiercer into his lover, leaving Allen screaming, mewling, panting and moving against him so hot and tight that Yuu felt he would die from the sheer heat, the pleasure of it all.

He lost track of time, focused solely on watching his mate writhe under him.

Allen keened beneath him before the younger boy's back suddenly arched like a bow and silver eyes shot open in awe. Allen choked on his breath, then silver eyes rolled back into his head as his lips went slack and he let out a scream higher than any other, his hips stuttering as he came in pearly ribbons across his chest and stomach.

The sound of his mate crying for him, the sight he made flushed with pleasure and cum, the clenching of tight muscles around him – Yuu didn't know which of these things finally caused him to snap but he found his own hips stuttering to an end a second after his moyashi's.

He heard a loud cry of pleasure and only when his vision settled did Kanda realize the last cry had been from him.

Seeing stars and breathing heavily, Yuu blinked slowly as his brain began to work again. Allen was splayed out beneath him, eyes fluttering shut then snapping open, clearly on the edge of sleep.

Yuu leaned in to kiss his mate gently, humming when pink lips slowly moved against him and Allen threw heavy arms around his shoulders. The Japanese teen briefly wondered if he should get something to clean them both off, but dismissed the thought as Allen pulled him down to the bed. He slipped out of his moyashi's hole with a wet noise.

Before he forgot, Yuu reached past his lover to grab some cloth to wipe them both clean. As soon as he finished, he settled bonelessly beside his lover, their arms and legs entwining. He nudged his nose into Allen's hair and his blue eyes became heavy.

"Is sex…Is it always…like that?.." Allen panted softly, feeling utterly drained of energy but so very relaxed that he didn't mind staying that way.

"I dunno… it's not …. like…I've had …. sex… with … anyone else… Moyashi…"

"Mmm," Allen gave a pleased purr at the reply and nuzzled into Yuu's neck. He cradled his face against his mate's slowly fading pulse, his eyes fluttering shut.

"I love you, Yuu."

Yuu couldn't help but smile softly, a smile solely for his mate. His love; his moyashi.

The euphoric feeling of release was still pumping through Yuu's' veins, and he allowed the calm feeling to transfer into the kisses he placed on his moyashi's collarbone, lips, and eyelids.

"Love you too," the elder inhaled his mate's scent deeply, "Allen."

The exhale of his name made Allen purr even louder, winding his tail around his lovers and stroking Yuu's chest in a tuneless pattern. Yuu stroked his moyashi's spine in a similar manner, placing gentle kisses whenever his lips touched his mate's hairline.

Before either one realized it, Yuu's lips were glued to Allen's forehead and Allen's lips rested on Yuu's pulse. They drifted off to sleep, warm and sated and feeling completely at peace, both knowing they were with the one they loved most.


	8. These Foolish Things

...

**Chapter 8: These Foolish Things**

...

* * *

 

**_~~ FLASHBACK ~~_ **

...

Allen was dragged back into the cage by a man in white, barely feeling his feet touch the ground. In the cage, Yuu was already resting but he shot up when he noticed Allen in the man's grasp. The Japanese NECO began spitting and cursing that the scientist had better leave. Yet despite these threats, the man in the white coat paid him no mind.

Allen was tossed into the cell that he and his mate now shared and immediately collapsed onto his knees. He shakily flopped onto his side and whimpered to himself, tail curling weakly around him. He drowned out his mate's yelling behind him and the sound of a door shutting.

The lights were dimmed, leaving the two NECOs in near blackness together. A low-burning set of yellow lights hung overhead, casting shadows across what little else was in the room.

Allen closed his eyes, trying not to cry.

_I just want to cry and fall asleep. I'm so tired, in so much pain…_ _please just let me pass out…_

"Moyashi."

The voice of Allen's mate –  _Yuu,_  he thought tenderly - resounded clear and sharp in Allen's ears, though he couldn't find the energy to reply. He was so sore and tired and… and…

"Moyashi, talk to me. You're hurt, let me see it. I can help. What did they do to you? Tell me!"

Allen struggled to speak, to think of a reply, and to just think of anything at all to say.

Yuu's voice had surprised him, but what was more surprising, was that the sound of the older NECO's voice (despite the fact that it was laced heavily with worry and frustration) calmed him as soon as he heard it.

Yuu's voice was so strong and so firm that Allen found it reassuring. Yuu always knew what he wanted and had all the answers to everything. Allen was so lucky to have such a great mate.

There was a sudden, deep growl and a collection of muttered curses.

"Moyashi? Answer me, Moyashi! So help me if they've knocked you out I'm going to rip those bastards apart and take you away from here. I'm going to put you in a secret hiding place that only you and I know about, where you'll be safe and warm and you'll have all the shiny things you want. Then I'm gonna run back here and take down all these disgusting creeps for ever touching you–"

A chuckle bubbled out of Allen's lips at how quickly Yuu's thoughts could go from violence to caring for him to being violent again.

God, he was so lucky to have Yuu. He was so cool and strong and protective. Allen felt so safe with him, even when he knew more hurting was bound to come from the men in white coats.

"M'fine, Yuu. M'just sleepy…" Allen panted out, surprised by how calm his own voice sounded compared to how he felt. The silver-NECO could feel his face throbbing and his eyes watering.

"Let me see you," Yuu ordered.

"M'fine, Yuu."

"Moyashi, you're my mate and you're in pain. It's my duty to make you better when you're hurt. Now, let me see what those bastards did."

"Yuu, please –"

"Moyashi." His voice was an order, a fierce plea, and Allen couldn't refuse. He knew that Yuu would not rest until he'd seen him face to face. Allen squeezed his eyes shut, a few tears slipping out.

Yuu was going to think he was ugly once he saw what Allen had gone through. After everything Yuu had done, he was going to leave Allen now…he'd want another mate once he looked at Allen… he was uglier now then ever…

Allen forced his aching, cracking body onto wobbly hands and knees. His vision blurred, but he was unsure if it was the tears or the dizziness he felt.

Behind him, Allen heard a noise behind him yet was unprepared when cold arms slipped around his waist. He froze, instinctually thinking it was a scientist to drag him away again, before he felt a nose burrow into the back of his hair.

Then it hit him – Yuu was hugging him. Yuu wanted to comfort him because he knew Allen was hurt. Allen felt more tears well up in his eyes. Yuu really was too good for someone like him…small and ugly and with scarred limbs…

With his bangs covering his face, he timidly scooted backwards into the other NECO's arms. Allen felt the arms embrace him even tighter and he closed his eyes for a moment as warmth seeped into him. Yuu's chest was so warm and smelled so nice under all the dirt and chemical smells on their clothes.

He heard Yuu mutter something in that strange language he always used, but Allen couldn't understand it. Still, Yuu's voice was low and sounded pretty so Allen guessed it was meant to comfort him. Long fingers tried to tilt the younger boy's head back and Allen froze at this.

Then, fearing the look of horror he'd get, Allen let himself to be turned around in Yuu's arms. He shut his silver eyes as he allowed Yuu get a good look at him.

With his eyes shut, Allen missed the widening of Yuu's eyes. The older boy wanted to curse, but held back in case it startled his lover.

His moyashi's whole face was swollen.

The younger NECO's lips were cracked and what had to be blood was crusted over the full bottom lip that Yuu often starred at when his moyashi pouted. His left eye, already marked with a red scar, was swollen and puffy. His pale cheeks were also inflamed and looked as though he'd stuffed apples in them. All this, plus his silver-haired mate was crying now and had his ears pinned back, as though he was afraid Yuu would make fun of him

"Moyashi, what happ - did they run tests on your eye? And your face…." Realization set into Yuu's mind. He hissed, the midnight fur on his tail going wild. "Argh, those fuckers! They took out your four major fangs didn't they?"

Allen hesitated but gave a jerky nod, his eyes still screwed shut. Tears escaped him, dripping down his cheeks and he sucked his cracked bottom lip into his mouth to stop from making a sound.

Allen heard Yuu scoff above him, but was not expecting a warm set of lips to kiss his eyelids. Platinum eyes flew open in shock and Yuu reeled back, worry taking over his normally scowling features.

"Did that hurt? Me kissing your eyes?" Yuu asked quickly. Allen gently shook his head, seeing his mate's shoulders relax at the gesture.

"Good," Yuu said fiercely, then leaned in to kiss the corner of his mate's eyes again, keeping his blue eyes locked on the stunned ones of his mate. He smirked when he pulled away and the moyashi was still starring at him, blushing a little bit.

He traced the remained tears off Allen's swollen cheeks and muttered to him as he worked at cleaning him off.

"They did this to my fangs too when I was nine-yaers-old, those bastards. They take out your baby-fangs so that your adult ones can grow in. Those ones will be much bigger and sharper... better for biting through stupid scientists hands... Moyashi, you'll be sore and swollen for a while and you'll need to eat in small bites. I could rip up your food and feed you? I am your mate after all," he offered.

Yuu's midnight tail, despite being puffy with anger, began swishing at the thought of his mate curled into him while he feed Allen bread pieces. Maybe he'd even lick the crumbs off Allen's fingers and make him blush. God, his little moyashi was so beautiful when he blushed. Yuu really liked that about him.

Satisfied with his thoughts, the Japanese boy made his tail loop through Allen's own dirty-silver one, hoping to reassure his mate that everything would be okay. He would make sure Allen was treated with every bit of care he deserved - as much as he possibly could while they were still in this hell-hole.

"They put the needles in your gums, right moyashi? Then held your mouth open and then tugged at your fangs with a metal thing? Actually don't talk anymore, you'll just hurt yourself."

Allen nodded again in response, noticing the dark-haired boy was scowling the more he admitted that the scientists had touched him. Yuu scowled directly at Allen then, cocking his head to the side and shaking it as though Allen was doing something stupid.

"Baka, did you think I was going to laugh at you because your face is puffy?"

Ashamed, Allen looked off to the side and murmured lowly, "… thought you'd want a new mate."

Yuu's eyes widened at this.

"Never," he swore. He harshly kissed Allen's cheek as if to prove it, making Allen yelp in pain. The Japanese-NECO retreated and then kissed his cheek with more care a second time. His gaze stayed firmly on his moyashi, waiting for Allen to look at him. Once silver met blue, he continued.

"Moyashi, I'll make them pay for hurting you," he said firmly. "You're my mate and I promise I'll protect you no matter what. You'll never need to worry about me wanting anyone but you, ever. Not even the end of time, ever. You're mine and I'll always want you. I will always love you, moyashi, and don't you dare forget it."

It was said simply and bluntly, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world and Allen was an idiot for not knowing it.

Deep-blue eyes continued to stare at Allen, unwavering and filled with such sureness that the small, white-haired boy found he couldn't breathe. There was no doubt in Yuu's words or his expression.

"… love me?" the younger boy whispered, hardly believing what he' heard.

"Don't talk, you'll only hurt yourself" Yuu said, silencing his pretty little mate. "But yeah, I do."

Allen smiled then, the first smile he'd felt in so long –  _since Mana_ , he thought, he'd never smiled with so much happiness and thanks and love. He ignored the way his cheeks burned, his lips re-cracked, and more tears leaked out of his pained eye. Yuu licked the tears away, and then softly touched Allen's cheeks.

He traced the skin with cool, barely there touches and Allen purred in thanks, his eyes fluttering at the loving gesture. He curled into Yuu's chest, letting a sob escape him as Yuu's fingers curled protectively into his back.

A minute later, after his crying had stopped, Yuu's fingers stilled and Allen felt warm breath on his face again.

Looking up, he was met with a red blush across the older NECOs cheekbones. The younger NECO found himself starring into the same blue eyes that had always mesmerized him.

Yuu cleared his throat and said, "Can I… can I kiss you moyashi?"

"M'cheeks again?"

"No," Yuu coughed awkwardly and then made a serious face. "I mean, can I kiss your lips? Only mates can do that to one another but I want to make sure you want it. You're mine, obviously, but I don't ever want to do something you don't like."

Allen blushed too before he nodded with a shy smile, leaning into Yuu's touch to show he wanted to be kissed.

Yuu seemed to smile then, for the briefest moment, but Allen couldn't be sure. He was too dazed with the thought of kissing Yuu to pay too much attention.

But then, too quickly it seemed, Yuu's face was so very close to his own that Allen closed his eyes in embarrassment, waiting and hoping for his first real kiss on the lips.

_My first kiss with Yuu. My first kiss ever. Yuu wants to kiss me. I get to kiss Yuu. We're gonna kiss… we're gonna kiss!…_

Then Allen felt warm lips touched his own for a few sweet seconds, a delightful pressure, before they pulled away as gently as they'd come. He sat there, eyes closed for a second, before a whine built up in his abused mouth before he could stop it.

"Tha's it?" Allen said through swollen cheeks. Yuu scoffed, making Allen's eyes open again just as the Japanese NECO leaned in close again.

"Che. I was trying not to hurt you, baka moyashi. Should I do it again but make it better? Kiss you the way I've really wanted to since I met you?" he teased. His dark tail was caressing it's pale counterpart.

Allen blushed but gave one nod, hoping and praying that Yuu would do it again,

Being kissed by Yuu had felt nice. Now he just wanted it to be, well, longer…

Allen was positive that Yuu smiled this time. His usually scowling mouth became relaxed and pretty with a straight set of white teeth. Allen gasped, stunned at how he could be so handsome and then get even handsome-er.

Then Yuu kissed him again, surprising the younger who still had his silver eyes open. Yet soon platinum-eyes slid shut as those warm lips pressed firmly against him again and again while arms pulled him closer to a warm body. Those lips remained close to his own, moulding every part of them yet never once leaving the younger's lips lonely.

Allen had never felt so special.

He sat there, eyes closed and a tingling on his lips, until he heard Yuu chuckle and playfully nip at his white, fluffy ear. Only then did the white-haired NECO realize Yuu had stopped kissing him a while ago.

"Was that better?" Yuu purred, his chest puffing out when Allen nodded sheepishly. "Glad to hear I can satisfy you then, moyashi. Did that hurt your lips though?"

Allen shook his head. It had been his first kiss and the first time he'd ever seen Yuu smile. Nothing could have hurt him in that moment.

And on top of it all –-

Allen leaned in, hesitated a moment, then kissed Yuu gently on the mouth.

"I-I love you, Yuu."

"Stop talking before you hurt yourself!" Yuu ordered, swiftly arranging the boy so that he was wrapped in his arms. "And I love you too, like I said before. Now shut up and go to sleep."

\- Yuu had said  _'I love you'_ to him for the first time ever.

* * *

...

The next day, the scientists lounged in their break room and observed the various NECOs as they were fed breakfast in their cages. This was the daily routine they had grown accustomed to and most barely paid attention to the monitors anymore.

Yet on this particular day, one scientist noticed an unusual act.

On one of the camera screens, almost unnoticeable on the wall-to-wall screens displayed, the two cat NECOs in Room 16 caught the eye of Dr. Rene Epstein. She spotted the cage alone in the white room (as it should have been) yet the two boys locked in the cage were acting differently than normal.

One of these NECOs, barely old enough to be more than a kitten, was sitting cross-legged and still in the center of the cage. Dr. Epstein recognized his silver hair and the red scar across his eye as the pet they'd been asked to fix to by Cross Enterprises.

The larger one -  _the Japanese one_ , she noted upon leaning in closer – was no doubt the anger-management case they'd been asked to break by Mugen Co.

Upon inspecting the monitor, she noticed the Japanese was taking both trays of breakfast that had been laid on the cell floor. She wondered if he was stealing the little kid's food. The midnight-eared NECO was a known delinquent, so it wouldn't have surprised her if he did.

Instead, what surprised her was that the older NECO pulled the younger boy into his lap. Then, out of nowhere, the Japanese kid who had bitten more employees than she could count, had broken more bonds than he should have been able to, and was the most violent, selfish, rude NECO she'd ever seen….

He pulled the silver-eared boy into his lap and began feeding him with small pieces of bread. The younger boy seemed to squirm at this and – I _s that kitten blushing? Or is that just the camera lens?_ – took the bread from the older boy's fingertips with a smile.

 _Yuu_  – Dr. Epstein remembered was his name – held up the small glass of juice each NECO was allotted and titled it gently into the smaller boy's mouth. The younger then seemed to try to make the elder eat and drink, yet he refused with a shake of his head. Instead, he offered more food between his fingertips to the white-haired boy.

It took Dr. Epstein a moment to fully comprehend what was going on:

Yuu was being _nice._

"What in the hell?" she muttered, unknowingly voicing her thoughts.

"What's wrong?" Dr. Bak Chan quickly asked. Hearing his usually composed colleague swear, he knew something had to be very wrong. "Is there a fight going on? Is anyone injured?"

He moved over to the monitors and quickly scanned for what could have upset Dr. Epstein.

_The rabbit NECO in Room 3 looks alright… Shark NECO in Room 8… Dog NECOs in 10, 11, and 12…. Raccoon in Room 14…._

"Room 16," Epstein said with a pointed fingernail. "The cat NECOs."

Bak quickly leaned in to investigate, a frown marring his face that quickly slid off when he surveyed the happenings in the room.

"Everything looks fine."

Rene rolled her eyes.

"Look at who the NECOs are! At least who the dark-haired one is…"

Bak leaned in for a closer inspection, his eyes scanning the images, and then he froze. His jaw slipped and a few hives erupted on his face as he got too excited.

"IS THAT YUU FROM MUGEN CO!?"

Immediately the rest of the scientists in the room flooded to the monitors to see what was going on.

"Is the kid killing anyone?"

"N-no, he's being so nice!" Bak cried, eyes drinking in the startling sight. "It's a-a miracle or something!"

"Did someone just say Yuu was being nice? Ha, yeah right he's probably just biding his time before he kills the other kid."

"Holy shit! He's actually giving the little one his food!"

"Whoa, what's wrong with him? Did someone here actually beat it into the kid that fighting's not allowed?"

"Nah, Yuu's totally playing the nice card so can fatten the kid up. He probably plans to eat him alter."

"He's not a cannibal!" Bak shouted.

"… Might as well be. The kid is Satan-incarnate so it wouldn't surprise me if he moved from beating people up to ripping them apart."

"I had to do tests with him once. The kid broke straight through the straps we had holding him down and went bloody ballistic."

"He bit right through Dr. Green's hand I heard, that's why Dr. Green is on hospital leave."

"Tell me about it. I was one of the ones who had to bring him into his cage the first day he arrived."

"Seriously? Man, I pity you if that's still your job."

"Ha! You couldn't pay me enough to handle that kid back into his cage again…"

Surrounding the monitors and with dozens of eyes focused on the solitary cell in Room 16, the scientists looked on in curiosity as the scene developed before them.

Then, too sudden for anyone to anticipate, Japanese NECO looked straight into the eyes of the camera– the camera that was supposed to be hidden and the NECOs were supposed to have no knowledge of.

A few scientists jumped back at the sharp gaze the NECO gave through the screen, yet most leaned closer in curiosity.

Yuu's triangular ears flicked back before perking to their full height, and his navy tail curled in the air slowly. The older cat NECO then did something the scientists couldn't believe.

He smirked at the camera before leaning in to kiss the younger boy solidly on the mouth. Pulling away after a moment, he licked crumbs from the boy's lips, turning to smirk into the camera again.

The break room erupted in a wall of noise, cries of disbelief and confusion melding together.

Only Dr. Epstein, Dr. Chan, and a select few were composed enough to stay focused on the screen.

Barely a moment later and missed by most of the scientists, Yuu's attitude changed towards the camera. He pointed to the boy in his lap (who was naively sipping at his glass of juice) and then straight into the camera. The researchers knew he could only be addressing them.

His blue eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth in sinister smile, showing off sharp fangs amongst a row of white teeth. He looked hard into the camera as he smiled, and drew a finger threateningly slowly across his neck.

The message was clear:

_You hurt him. You're dead._

 


	9. Stormy Weather

**...**

**Chapter 9: Stormy Weather**

**...**

* * *

Sunlight streamed through thin curtains to bathe the two on the bed with warmth. It cast itself over their entwined limbs and upon feeling it seep into their skin, both buried deeper into the bed and each other. It was a moment of peace and bliss. The next thing Yuu and Allen registered was a delicious, meaty smell. Even in the midst of sleep, their noses twitched and two sets of ears, one platinum and the other a midnight blue, turned to the doorway.

Then, suddenly there was a loud cry from downstairs. Both NECOs shot up, instantly awake – Allen in anticipation and Yuu in a foul mood—as they recognized it was Lavi screaming.

"BACON IS REEEEAAAADDDDY!"

Allen leapt out of bed, as he usually did most mornings, only to fall flat and yowl in pain. Yuu moved to scoop his mate onto the bed again.

"Baka! You can't move that fast after having sex!"

"Oww, that really hurt" Allen muttered, clutching his rear as his silver ears remained flat to his head. Yuu nuzzled his nose into Allen's fluff of white hair, before biting his neck gently as a scolding.

"Move slowly today. You're gonna hurt for a while. I'll carry you everywhere if I need to."

"I'm not in that much pain! I can walk just fine and I don't need you to carry me."

"Oh really?" Yuu purred lowly into his mate's ear, delighting in the shiver it caused. "If you can still walk then perhaps I didn't do my job well enough last night. You up for another round tonight, moyashi?"

Allen blushed a dark red and struggled out of his mate's hold.

"I… Well, O-okay yeah, I'd really like that Yuu, but…" His blush grew darker as he braved a glance at his mate lounging on the bed. Allen just shook his head. "You're such a pervert," he muttered, trying to ignore the way he could feel Yuu smirking at his back.

Just then, Allen's stomach let out a monstrous noise. Allen clutched at it, realizing that he'd missed dinner last night. Apparently, his stomach was determined he eat twice as much this morning to make up for it.

Allen moved gingerly over to their dresser, hearing the bed creak behind him as Yuu got up. His mate moved up beside him at their dresser, pulled a few things from the top drawer and then turned to silently get dressed.

Allen pulled his own clothes out from a lower drawer but paused to dig around in the small wooden jewelry box they had. After removing the top, he beamed as he pulled out his favourite gift – a thin bracelet embedded with polished white gems. The stones danced as light reflected off them and Allen looped the bracelet over his left wrist.

"Che, what are you grinning at moyashi?"

"I'm going to wear my bracelet today," Allen announced, clasping the bracelet in place. "The gift you gave me after we escaped. Remember?"

A small grin touched the dark-haired man's lips as he nodded, pulling on pants over his boxers.

"Make sure you don't lose that thing," the Japanese NECO said through a smirk.

"You know I never will."

Allen took a moment longer to admire the bracelet and its sparkle. It was only a thin band, but it was the most valuable thing Allen owned because it came from Yuu. Satisfied that the gift was securely on his wrist, Allen dressed with some help from his lover. As soon as he finished the two shared some grooming and kissing before heading for the kitchen.

Allen was embarrassed to admit he had trouble walking down the stairs with the ache of last night still being felt on his body. Yuu just grinned behind his moyashi's back the whole time, doing his best not to embarrass his mate any further.

As soon as they walked into the kitchen, Allen spotted the two plates of meaty bacon and moved towards them like a magnet.

Lavi swatted at the younger NECO's hand with the spatula he was using to flip the bacon, causing Allen to pout. Yuu watched his mate to ensure he was alright and then took a seat beside Tyki. The Portuguese man sipped at his coffee and offered the pot to Yuu, who just wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Tyki just grinned, having expected that from the Japanese teen.

"So then boys," the wolf-NECO drawled, setting his cup down, "How was your night?"

"Good, how was yours? Sorry I missed dinner."

"Che. Are the brat and your family gone for good?"

"They'll be back this afternoon to say goodbye to us all," Lavi said, flipping more bacon. Yuu growled at the response, but was cut off by Tyki.

"Don't worry, pussycat. Narien isn't going to touch Allen ever again… Rhode made sure the thought won't even cross his mind, plus we'll tear him limb from limb if he thinks he can ever get away with it."

Yuu's glare and growl didn't waver. Tyki's dark ears twitched atop his head, before perking to their full height.

"Oh well, onto better topics – how was your night together, boys?" he purred.

"You already asked us that," Allen said through a mouthful of toast.

"Ah, did I? My apologies." Tyki's smile was wide and eerily cheerful. His gold eyes glinted. "I guess I was just curious as to why Lavi and I came home to dirty footprints all over on the table and the countertops –"

Allen froze. Yuu just rolled his eyes and took an apple off the table.

"—and the floor was a mess. It was very strange. And the house was so quiet, almost as though you two had done something very exhausting for hours on end before passing out. Hmm, I wonder what that could've been… with you two all alone... "

Tyki's grin was pure evil. Allen did his best to avoid the gold eyes starring at him.

"Che, the moyashi and I had sex for the first time last night. It's exactly what you're thinking," Yuu stated bluntly. Allen and Lavi both spluttered incredulously behind the Japanese teen. Tyki did a double-take.

"Wait, the first time? You're saying last night was the first time you and Allen had sex?"

"What the fuck are you hinting at, mutt?" Yuu growled out. Lavi placed a final plate of bacon on the table before sitting across from the other two.

Tyki rolled his eyes before giving the Japanese NECO a bored look. "Relax pussycat, I'm not insulting you or your mate. But if that was sex, how the hell do you explain all the moaning that went on yesterday morning? With Narien at the kitchen table? That definitely wasn't the sound of you two playing cards."

Allen blushed a cherry red at the realization that his moans had been heard all the way downstairs. Yuu kept his face impassive, but the swagger of his tail told how he really felt.

"That was me showing the moyashi what a blowjob is." A hint of a smirk touched his lips as he spoke, which Lavi noticed with all too much glee.

"Damn, Yuu-chan, you must be amazing with your mouth if you got Allen to scream like that," Lavi teased with a grin in Allen's direction. The platinum-haired NECO reacted accordingly, blushing a darker red and covering his face with his hands. Lavi just laughed at the poor boy before he turned to grin back at the cocky-but-pretending-not-to-be Japanese teen. "Say, you mind giving me a chance to see how good you are with that mouth?"

Tyki swiftly turned to glare at his lover as he all but growled out, " _Excuse me, querido_? In case you've forgotten, the only mouth you need is mine. Are you saying my mouth isn't enough to satisfy you? Because that sounded like a fucking challenge – I'd be more than wiling to drag you into the next room and remind you just how much my tongue can make you –"

"Ahh! You're both like my brothers, please stop!" Allen said hurriedly.

Tyki quieted yet didn't remove his gaze from his bunny-eared mate. Lavi's grin just widened as he blew his lover a kiss.

* * *

Hours later, there was a swift knock at the door that Tyki confirmed was the rest of his family. Yuu shoved Allen behind him and nestled them both into a corner of the kitchen. Narien wasn't going to even get the chance to look at Allen – the Japanese NECO would make damn sure of that.

Sheryl waltzed in with a smile and a kiss for his brother, followed by Skin who lumbered over to the fridge. Rhode skipped in next, dragging Narien behind her. His head was wrapped in gauze and he had a collection of bandages tied around him. There were also pink band-aids and heart stickers on his cheeks. Yet what was most disturbing was the smile he wore - his smile was hollow and his eyes were unfocused.

Tyki gave Yuu a nod at the Indian-NECO, while Lavi moved to welcome them in.

"Hey Narien, how are ya? I hope your head's ok and the doctor –"

"G-g-get aw-away from m-me!" Narien shrieked, and he suddenly spun on his heel and ran into Rhode's welcoming arms. She giggled and kissed his cheek, muttering little soothing words.

"I only want Rhode, just her, only her" Narien said stiffly, eyes wide and unmoving from Rhode's face. She just 'aww-ed' and cuddled into him, looping their arms together. The brown-haired NECO smiled again like a doll while Lavi cringed and moved away from the pair.

Narien's gaze remained distant and unseeing, and Allen's tail curled around his thigh at the broken expression.

Rhode cocked her head, noticing Skin digging through the fridge.

"Uncle Tyki, may we have a snack?" she pleaded, pouting up at the other wolf-NECO.

"Of course, feel free to eat anything in the fridge," Tyki told his niece, ruffling her hair. She grinned up at him and then dragged Narien after her to join Skin in finding a snack.

Tyki waltzed over to kiss his lover, enjoying the way Lavi slipped his hands under his shirt to trace patterns on his hips. Both missed the way Sheryl's mouth puckered in distaste behind their backs.

"Tyki, I'm going out for a smoke. Look after Rhode for a moment won't you?"

"Mmm-hmm," Tyki muttered, his lips still firmly on those of his mate's. He squeezed Lavi's backside just as Sheryl left in disgust.

"Oooh! This looks delicious!" Rhode cried from the fridge, her head poking up from the white door. "Can the 3 of us have it?"

"Whatever it is, sure." Tyki kissed Lavi again, enjoying the redheads' smile.

Meanwhile, in the other corner, Yuu was busy making sure Allen was alright.

"Did Narien stare at you at all?"

"No."

"Do you want me to kick him out? I'll happily –"

"I'm ok, Yuu." Allen said through a smile. "I just want to make sure he knows I'm yours. Only and always."

"Damn right you are," Yuu said, sealing his lover's lips in a firm, possessive kiss. Allen gave into it happily and the two lost themselves in the act. Too soon it seemed, Yuu pulled away to lick at his moyashi's lips. Allen stroked Yuu's tail in response, yet the clatter of forks drew Allen's appetite. He pulled away from his taller lover to get something to eat for himself. He smelled chocolate and that really -

As soon as Allen caught sight of what Rhode, Narien and Skin were eating, his heart skipped a beat. His features became pale and he felt like lead had dropped into his gut.

_This can't be happening. No no no NO NO -_

"MY CAKE!" Allen cried in a panic, dashing over to the ruined lump of chocolate as though he could somehow bring it back. The young NECO looked between the near empty plate and Rhode with distressed, pleading eyes. Narien remained by her side, his head cocked in confusion. Allen sent them both a look of horror before his ears fell and his arms dropped lifelessly to his sides.

"We had a cake in the fridge?" Lavi asked his lover. Tyki just shrugged, his eyes trained on Allen and his niece.

"Allen," Tyki called, "are you ok? You look like you're about to cry. If that was your cake I assure you Rhode will buy you a new one."

"No no no no... no no no…" Allen murmured. "That was Yuu's cake."

Yuu turned to look at his lover questioningly, while the other occupants of the room grew still.

"I made it just for him. For tomorrow. All I had to do was put icing on it…" Allen's eyes, to Tyki's horror, began to fill with water. Allen scrubbed at his eyes with his blackened left hand, his tail hanging limply behind him.

"S-sorry, I don't mean to sound so worked up over a cake but –"

"Yuu's birthday isn't until June though. Was tomorrow something special?"

"It's our anniversary. The anniversary of when me and Yuu met." Allen turned to give a watery smile to his lover. Yuu's heart clenched at the sight. "I wanted to give you something and I thought I could make a cake for you, since we don't really have money for expensive gifts and shopping is dangerous. I made the cake just for you… it was all dark chocolate, so it was bitter cause I know you don't like sweet things."

Allen gave a sheepish smile to Tyki then, and the wolf-NECO felt guilt fill him up in him at seeing his little brother so upset. "Hah, you asked me yesterday morning why I was so tired, it' s cause I stayed up late making this the night before. I was… I dunno… I should've hid it better I guess but I just… wanted something to give Yuu for our anniversary…I can't believe it's all gone…"

Yuu immediately turned a harsh glare over to the injured Indian-NECO. His eyes were in slits and bloodlust was clear in his voice.

"So now, not only have you violated my moyashi, you fucking brat, but now that's twice you've made him upset. And you fucking ate my cake." Yuu's made sure to grin maliciously at the boy, ensuring he could see the sharpened canines Yuu possessed. "I'm going to kill you. No more excuses" he hissed, taking a menacing stride forwards.

"But you said you wouldn't!" Rhode whined, pouting at Yuu and ignoring the way her mate was whimpering and desperately hiding behind her.

"I lied. Fucking deal with it."

"His ear is still bleeding," Lavi said, suddenly noting the dark liquid was still dripping down Narien's ear. "It shouldn't be bleeding for this long. Something's wrong with it. Allen didn't you put ointment on it and bandage it yesterday?"

Allen felt guilt swell up in him. He had forgotten how badly injured Narien's' ear was.

Yuu moved swiftly in front his pale-haired mate, glaring nose to nose at Lavi.

"No, the moyashi didn't clean the fucking brat's ear. Do you have a problem with that, usagi?"

Lavi eyed the two cat-NECOs before understanding registered in his emerald eye.

"Ah, right," he murmured, eying the blood-stained ear. "You and Narien tussled before Allen could …wait…" Lavi's eye went unexpectedly wide. Then, before anyone could react, Lavi moved to violently yank the bleeding Narien out of Rhode's grasp.

"No!" Narien screamed, as though he were being attacked. "Miss Rhode! My Rhode! Let me go back to her!"

Lavi ignored the cries and locked an arm around the boy's waist, pinning his tanned arms to his sides and holding him still. The rabbit-NECO gripped the boy's cut ear and pulled the skin upwards, stretching it.

Narien cried out and flailed at his hurt ear was abused, causing pain to shoot through his body and into his toes. He arched in pain and the bleeding grew worse, yet Lavi continued to scrutinize his slashed ear.

"Lavi! You're hurting him!" Allen cried worriedly. Even if Narien had kissed him and tried touching him where only Yuu could, he was still a runaway like them. The young NECO couldn't stand the sight of someone in pain, especially someone like them.

The door opened, revealing Sheryl,who stepped inside just as Lavi's ears perked and the redhead let out bellowing curse.

"Fuck!" Lavi shouted all but throwing the Indian boy out of his arms, causing said boy to go stumbling back to Rhode like a madman. "Shit! You stupid kid... Argh! Fuck-a-duck!"

"Excuse me, Lavi? That is disgusting!" Sheryl shouted, nose crinkling in horror as he stared at the redhead. How dare the rabbit NECO say such a thing – and in front of his precious Rhode!

"Lavi, what's wrong?" Tyki hurriedly asked, seeing his lover's uncharacteristic distress. The redhead didn't reply and instead ran into the kitchen.

Feeling his patience wear thin, Sheryl turned to younger brother with a puckered mouth and a low voice. "Tyki, really, how can you call this thing your mate? Just listen to his language, its repulsive! And what on earth does he think he's doing by daring to harm my baby's mate?"

" _Thing?_ " Tyki barked, his own blood boiling at the unexpected insult to his lover. "Sheryl, apologize this instant! Lavi is my mate and I won't let you talk to him like that!"

"Shut up, all of you!" Yuu yelled, effectively silencing the arguing brothers. Lavi was cursing lowly under his breath still, and was now running around the kitchen, inspecting the window and the cabinets and the inside of the fridge. "Oi, baka usagi, what the fuck are you doing? Stop running around and start talking!"

"Ugh, is there no-one in this house with decent manners?" Sheryl muttered, eying the redhead and the Japanese NECO with equal distaste now.

Lavi just eyed Yuu with a pleading look, his green eye flickering around everyone and at everything.

"Yuu, look at Narien's ear. _Look. At. It._ I'm going upstairs to grab clothes and you guys should grab some food and towels, and uhh….whatever!" the redhead snapped, suddenly running to the living room and the stairs. "Just grab everything you can and let's go! Hurry! "

Yuu looked to Tyki for an explanation, only to find the Portuguese man was doing the same to him between furious glares at his brother.

Yuu and Tyki shared a brief look, golden eyes and blue eyes flickering over to Narien. Lavi's panic struck a suspicious chord within both of them. Allen moved tentatively to grip his mate's arm while his platinum-tail curled worriedly around his thigh.

Seeing that Yuu now had Allen clinging to him, Tyki went for Narien's ear. His niece pulled the boy to her chest as he approached, glaring up at him haughtily. He quickly said "Rhode, let me see him. This isn't a game."

"No, you'll hurt him! And I need him in one piece so I can play with him – Hey! No fair! TYKI!" she cried as Tyki took the opportunity, to wrench the boy from her arms and tug at his bleeding ear.

Tyki glared at the damaged ear just like his mate had done, ignoring the chocolate-haired boy's whines and trying desperately to see what his mate was so worried about. There was a lot of dried blood, and some dead skin that he could see, but what was –

There was a momentary flash of something beneath the blood.

 _Some kind of metal? Copper? Steel?_ Tyki thought.

And then the realization hit him.

Suppressing Narien's struggles with one arm, he used his other hand to swipe away the blood, slicking it away from the wound until he could see it for himself and be sure. Upon seeing the upraised, silver rectangle folded over the edge of Narien's ear, he cussed in Portuguese and turned to Yuu.

"He has a stainless **-** steel tracking chip in his ear. It's active," Tyki said, watching as Yuu and Allen's eyes widened. Allen's hands began to tremble on his mate's arm. "It's either one from the scientists at the Rejection Center or one from a Master. Either way –"

"You fucker!" Yuu hissed, moving to strangle the Indian NECO. Allen gripped his mate with both hands now, barely restraining him. "You lead humans right to us!"


	10. The Birth Of The Blues

. . .

**Chapter 10: The Birth of the Blues**

. . .

* * *

 

"That's not possible," Rhode defended, though her voice was quiet. Her eyes turned to her so-called mate's questioningly. Suddenly, there was a beep from the metal chip in Narien's ear.

Tyki was already pulling food from the pantries, stuffing it into the grocery bags that were still littering the kitchen's island.

"Sheryl, Rhode, Skinn, you need to leave" Tyki urged his relatives. "If they get you –"

"We have a Master, Tyki, we'll be fine. But what about you? We could take you with us to our home if you like?" Sheryl said. Tyki's head whipped around.

"WHAT! You have a Master! Sheryl, why the hell –"

"Tyki! We have to go! NOW." Lavi hissed. "They'll be fine, but we won't if humans get here!"

Allen gaped for a long moment. Then, his adrenaline kicked in.

Pulling himself from his mate, he ran upstairs as fast as he could, bypassing Lavi on the way. The platinum-haired boy ran into the bedroom he and Yuu shared before yanking on the small white string located above their full-length mirror. A set of stairs descended, and Allen hurriedly pulled them down before scrambling up them, pulling himself into the dusty attic of the house.

Located through a low crawlspace to the east of the house, there was small window that lead straight onto the roof. Allen had often climbed through it to stargaze on nights when he had nightmares about Mana. Crawling through the window once again, he flipped himself onto the roof and crawled up at high as he could, careful to keep both hands and feet on the tiles in case he slipped.

He activated his left eye and quickly scanned for humans.

He didn't know how or why, but his left eye had been deformed along with his left arm when he was created. He had soon learned that his left eye was able to see miraculous distances, and all with the perfect clarity that few NECOs possessed. Using it now, Allen did a 360-turn, letting his eye adjust to look more closely whenever something caught its attention. After doing two of these sweeps, Allen threw himself back into the attic and jumped down, ignoring the stairs. He fell on his hands and knees, but kept pushing himself forwards, running to the living room.

He took a deep breath before yelling, "Yuu! There are at least 2 vans with white coats and Fighter NECOs running up the hill. Plus there's a truck of other humans heading for the house!"

There were odd noises from the kitchen. Then, Yuu's voice carried up to him.

"From what directions?"

"North and east!"

"Any sign of guns?"

Allen winced at the word 'guns', feeling fear begin to build his stomach.

"N-no! But I'm positive the whitecoats will have needles!... They always do…" Allen whispered to himself, shuddering at the memories that flooded back to him. Memories of pain, isolation, testing, and hurting all the time.

"Moyashi! Find a good place to hide!"

"Well, there's a small river a few miles from here, to the southeast – " Allen said as he spotted it. It seemed like the perfect location.

 _But won't that be where the scientists in white coats look first?_  Allen worried.

Tyki barged into the bedroom below him, followed closely by Lavi. "Allen! Get down here!" Tyki ordered, acting as the temporary leader.

Allen scampered out of the attic and back into his and Yuu's bedroom.

"Look, boy, we're heading out the back window, through the forest towards that river. Go now."

Allen nodded and then quickly moved to go grab Yuu. Tyki and Lavi simultaneously grabbed his arms and flipped him around to face the window. Allen's white tail curled and his ears perked in confusion.

"Yuu will join us later. He's staying to fend off the intruders and give us time to run."

Silver eyes went wide in panic, but Tyki could spare no pity at this moment.

"Boy, go! Your mate is strong. He will be fine."

"W-We can't just leave him alone here to –"

"Go!"

Allen hesitated for a moment before he ran to the window, threw it open and leapt out, far quicker than either Tyki or Lavi had expected. Tyki finished adjusting the bags on his back right before Lavi swore in realization.

"Shit," Lavi said, taking the bag of clothes with him as he ran for the window, "Allen's gonna try to grab Yuu from the kitchen window!"

Tyki cursed under his breath, knowing that the little cat-boy would be stupid enough to try something like that if his mate was involved.

Tyki spun quickly, but by the time he had turned, his redheaded lover was already gone out the window as well to get Allen. The wolf NECO ran after the other two, leaping out the window landing gracefully on the grass. He turned just in time to see Allen violently shove Lavi, the redhead landing on his rear.

"Lavi, get into the woods! I'll grab Allen!" Tyki hissed, dashing to grab the white-haired NECO.

Allen ran for the kitchen window and peered in. His heart went into a staccato again as he saw Yuu slam someone against the counter, tossing food everywhere.

Yuu turned just slightly as he caught sight of Allen in the window, and hesitated in surprise, right before Yuu was thrown over his opponent's shoulder and into the wall. Yuu's back arched in pain and his wrist was angled oddly as he fell to the floor.

"Yuu!—" Allen cried.

Then, there was a swift and crushing pressure applied on his neck, just beneath his snow-white hair. Allen tried to scream, but found his voice wouldn't work.

"Sorry, boy," Tyki murmured, pulling Allen backwards with apparent ease. "But your mate will kill me if you get hurt…"

 _Yuu,_  Allen tried to say as his vision went fuzzy and his limbs became incredibly heavy. Blackness began to creep into his vision despite how he tried to fight it off.

He tried to pray _, Yuu, please be okay_ , but before Allen could, darkness swept over him like a crashing wave, drowning him in its depths.

Allen collapsed.

Hurriedly, Tyki threw the boy's limp body over his shoulder and took off running into the woods, trailing behind his rabbit-eared lover. He didn't spare a look back to the house and ignored the sound of glass shattering as someone went through a window.

After all, he knew that through hell or high water, Yuu would come for his white-haired lover.

* * *

Running swiftly through the forest, Tyki and Lavi along with an unconscious Allen moved like shadows in the afternoon sun, the heat of the cloudless blue sky beating down on them.

"How long … have we … been running?" Lavi panted.

"Half-hour…I think…" Tyki panted out, sweat dripping down the back of his neck as he readjusted Allen on his shoulder for the ninth time. The suit he was wearing was ridiculously hot to wear.

Suddenly, the shade of the trees that had protected them disappeared from sight, leaving them to bear the full force of the sun's heat as they found themselves on the outskirts of a bustling town.

"Shit," Lavi cursed, "We must've…taken a wrong… turn…"

"No, I'm sure…it's this way…" Tyki said, praying that Lavi believed him. "Allen said…south-east… so the river… should be…on the other…side of …here…"

Tyki cleared his throat and took a moment to compose himself, steadying his breathing and laying Allen on the dirty ground of a nearby tree. After a minute of silence apart from the two males' panting breaths slowing to a steady rhythm, Lavi moved into his lover's side.

"Oh, Tyki," Lavi breathed as he suddenly realized that Tyki had been carrying Allen this time. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. The boy is light, despite how much he eats," Tyki forced a smile for his mate. "Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to keep moving in a minute."

"But the people in that town! – " Lavi said.

 _They'll make us their pets_ , went unspoken.

"It's alright," Tyki reassured, grinning. "I have my suit in one of these bag here... not sure which one, but it's okay. I'll just dress up and we can pretend it's another shopping trip. A Master and his NECOs. No need to worry, querido."

Lavi's long crimson ears perked to their full height in interest. Tyki unzipped one of the many bags he had slung across him, and fiddled around in search of his top hat and suit.

After dressing himself overtop the shirt he already wore and switching his slacks, Tyki ran his hands through his hair before hiding his ears under the black hat.

"It's easy," Tyki said, moving to his feet and dusting off his suit. He adjusted the top hat, making sure that his wolf ears were covered fully and then double-checked that his coat-tails covered his black wolf tail. "Just keep your head down, carry Allen, stay two steps behind me at all times, and just let me do all the talking, querido." There was a brief kiss between them. "Now, follow me."

And, looking every bit like rich gentlemen, Tyki strolled past his lover without a backward glance.

As they entered the town, people passed by them without a second glance. Tyki kept his gaze straight ahead and his neck held high. Some people were even stupid enough as to bow slightly towards him, thinking him some sort of nobility.

As the entered the center of town, passing the metallic buildings and cars and bay-windowed store fronts, Lavi had kept true to Tyki's word to keep his head down. He knew that he looked submissive and weak this way, but why Tyki needed him to look that way was still puzzling to Lavi.

Lavi was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he bumped into a passerby, almost dropping Allen at the sudden jolt.

"Oh, forgive me," the tall, attractive brunette man said, giving Lavi a smile. Then, upon seeing Lavi and the unconscious cat-boy he was holding, the man's smile dropped.

 _Shit!_  Lavi thought, freezing as he saw the man's eyes immediately fall to Lavi and Allen's necks.

He was checking for the ownership chips that should have been implanted in the side of their necks - the Master "collars" that neither of them had.

The man, whom Lavi had thought was attractive, suddenly looked horribly ugly as he grinned.

Lavi became uncomfortably aware that neither he nor Allen was wearing a shirt.

It wasn't uncommon for a NECO to go shirtless under orders from their Master, but being clad in only pair of pants, with this man's eyes slithering all over his body, Lavi felt more exposed than ever before in his life.

 _No,_  Lavi realized,  _not_ _my_ _body –_

He had his eyes all over Allen's young body.

Lavi pulled the platinum-haired boy into his chest, trying to cover as much of him as he could.

"You're not claimed. Are you runaways? You looking for a good Master?" the man asked, licking his lips. The statement drew unwanted attention from a number of passersby, who also stopped to eye the rabbit and cat NECO with lusty eyes.

Lavi tried to speak, to recall an excuse, a lie, anything to escape from this man, but found nothing.

The man moved forward, alongside a few others from the crowd in an attempt to grab Lavi and Allen.

"Oh dear, forgive me sir," Tyki said suddenly, stepping towards them, his voice flowing like caramel. "Have my pets disturbed you, sir? If so, I apologize."

There was a snap of Tyki's fingers before he ordered coolly, "Pet, apologize to this man. You have offended him and me with your clumsiness."

"These NECOs are yours?" the man said skeptically, eyeing Allen's black left arm and the black cloth covering Lavi's right eye. "You do realize that they're deformed, right?"

Lavi frowned and would've cussed the man out, except Tyki had spoken before he was given the chance.

"Deformed? Hahaha! Oh yes, I realize that they are … 'deformed' as you say, but these two are extremely rare breeds you see," Tyki said calmly. "I take it you've never heard of the collection of NECOs they have in Aquinos?"

The man craned forwards, eyes wide with interest. Lavi was appalled to see that many others had crowded around Tyki to hear the same news.

"These two were created specifically with the, ahem, 'deformities' you see here because it was what I desired. They came with a feature of being custom made, my dear sir. This rabbit, for example, is one of the best breeds for providing… pleasure, as you say."

Tyki delivered a swift smack to Lavi's bottom to emphasize his point.

The only thing that stopped the redhead from yelping was that Tyki had done it so often and the feeling was not unexpected. He resisted the urge to smile, keeping up the weak and submissive persona.

"And the young cat-boy, well, I can see how you've been eyeing him," Tyki purred suggestively. The man flushed but didn't deny the statement. Lavi was disgusted to see that the brunette had the audacity to look at Allen's shirtless body and lick his lips.

Lavi wished Yuu were here, knowing he would've kicked the pervert's ass.

"Well, you have a good eye sir," Tyki said, trailing a single finger over Allen's pale arm in mock admiration. "You notice the unique platinum-coloured ears and tail? The beautiful red scar that blooms over the left side of his pale face? He is a truly exclusive beauty. Imagine that face, adorned in lipstick and blush the same colour as that scar…"

Tyki let the man imagine the scene for a moment.

"He is not nearly as skilled as the rabbit in the art of pleasure, but he has his… talents, we'll say. If you're looking to buy one for yourself, I suggest you try this number –" Tyki pulled a business card from his pocket.

Lavi had never seen it before but made no comment.

"In any case, I must apologize again for my pet's clumsiness and I beg you excuse us. We have errands to run."

"Wait!" another man from the crowd shouted. "Where the hell are their collars? How do we know that they belong to you? Cause if they don't – "

Tyki didn't allow the man to finish. He grasped Allen's thin left hand, lifting it up so everyone could see it clearly.

The glimmering pattern of the long diamond bracelet, looped around Allen's black wrist, was unmistakable.

It was Yuu's gift to Allen.

The gift he had stolen for Allen when they had first become mates.

Lavi knew better than anyone that Allen loved that bracelet like his own life.

People in the crowd gasped at the sight of the white diamonds contrasting with Allen's black skin, and at the thought of how expensive the diamonds must have been. Murmurs broke out amongst the humans.

"I choose to collar my humans differently than others," Tyki said offhandedly, "and if you would like further proof sir, well then – "

Tyki petted Lavi's hair, before trailing his finger down to Lavi's chin. He tilted the rabbit's head backwards so that they were starring eye to eye.

"Querido, who is your Master?" Tyki asked.

Lavi resisted the urge to grin.

"You are, Master," Lavi said calmly.

"Good pet."

Tyki claimed Lavi's lips in a fierce kiss.

 _Don't drop Allen_ , was the only thing that flashed through Lavi's mind. Then, as quickly as the kiss had come, Tyki pulled away to eye the man in the crowd calmly.

"Does that prove these are indeed mine, sir?"

There was no response.

"Excellent. Now then," Tyki snapped his fingers again. "Come along, pet. We have to finish our errands."

"Yes Master," Lavi said for good measure, and then quickly trotted after Tyki as the elder male walked into a nearby bread bakery.

There was a jingle as the entered through the double-plated glass doors and the low background-hum of a fan was the only noise for a long moment. Tyki did not speak until they had passed behind a small stand of cinnamon rolls.

"Fuck, I hate humans," Tyki hissed under his breath, so only Lavi could hear him. Lavi could only nod in agreement, hoping no-one else would try to get their hands on he or Allen again while they were in-town. Lavi hoisted the duffel bag higher on shoulder and readjusted Allen in his arms.

"Ah!" the female store clerk said, suddenly seeing the customers. Tyki began to lazily walk towards her. "Sorry, I'll be with you in just one second!"

She placed two trays of steaming hot bread rolls on the counter, smiling apologetically at Tyki before turning back to her oven, sliding another two trays of bread in.

"Now then," she said as she smiled over the counter, "can I help…you?..."

Like the wind, the three males had disappeared.

She blinked once…twice…and then suddenly realized that the entire stand of cinnamon rolls and the rolls that had been on the counter only moments ago, were now empty.


	11. Baby, It's Cold Outside

. . .

**Chapter 11 : Baby, It's Cold Outside**

. . .

* * *

 

_**~~ FLASHBACK ~~** _

"Lavi. Lavi, come down, I have another chore for you."

The young rabbit NECO, whipped around at the sound of his Master's voice, his hand in midair from where he was shelving books. Although he was only 14, as he jumped off his ladder and landed on the carpeted library floor, he towered over his mentor.

… Then again, Master Bookman was barely 5' tall and Lavi himself was approaching 5'8. The redhead was tall and lanky, but Lavi was happy with his newfound growth spurts in the last few months. He could reach the books he loved so much easier as he got taller, and he could jump clear over Panda Jiji's head now. He used to run back and forth, jumping like the rabbit he was, tauntingly over his Master's curl of hair. He thought it was a fun game but he stopped doing that after Jiji karate-chopped his knee one time and he went flying into a door.

His forehead had been red for two days.

"What's up Jiji?" he quipped, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat, scowling at how puberty was ruining him.

The old man, dark circles under his steely eyes, did not respond to the rabbit NECO. Instead, the older man merely turned his back and walked out of the private library. Lavi took that as a cue to follow, and he regretfully dropped his books on a nearby desk cluttered with ancient scrawls.

"Did you complete your Latin and Swahili translations?" Master Bookman asked. Lavi grinned widely.

"Yup!"

"And have you re-shelved all the books you took out this morning?"

"Except for the two you just interrupted me from –" his Master shot him a glare but Lavi kept grinning, "Yeah, I've shelved them all. Alphabetically, by author's last name, except for the history section which is by topic and date of the war it covers."

Bookman gave a small nod and a brief tilt of his mouth – a smile.

"Good. I need you to do something else for me."

"Awww Jiji, do you need help getting something off the top shelf again? Awww" Lavi cooed. He expected a smack over the head, and jumped a step back in preparation, but the redhead was surprised when the old man just scoffed. His long red ears went back in concern. It was unusual that Jiji let him get away with his teasing.

"Don't be snappy," Jiji replied, "I need you to go out and grab wood for the fireplace. It's damn cold out there and I'm not getting it."

Lavi cast a look out the large glass windows as they passed into Bookman's large, spacious study. Ornate rugs from all over the world were splayed across the walls and a large Persian rug covered the floor. Out the window, snow came down in furious lines, parallel and unrelenting. A pile of snow up to Lavi's knees had already built up outside and the trees surrounding their house were moaning in protest at the wind.

Lavi pouted, already dreading the cold – he hated being sent out in the cold just cause Jiji wanted to pay him back for being snappy. The rabbit NECO turned to his Master, ready to complain " _You may have bought me but I'm not going out there, you old Panda_ " but stopped, the words frozen on his tongue. Bookman's hands and his face, the only parts of skin revealed under his thick clothes, were pale. Lavi also noted a slight shiver in the man's gait.

Lavi's long red ears perked up and he hurried to pull Bookman's chair closer to the soon-to-be-roaring fireplace. Bookman raised a suspicious eyebrow at the gesture and Lavi just stuck out his tongue, playfully skipping out of the room and running to grab his outdoor boots. A frown once again marred his young face. He resisted the urge to look behind him and check on his Master.

Bookman didn't like to talk about how old he was getting or how easily he got sick now. Lavi couldn't bring it up either – he knew Jiji would just deny it. And Lavi couldn't fathom discussing Jiji getting sick and never getting better.

All Lavi knew was life in a cage, waiting for a Master. A cold, white-walled, steely past. After Jiji came along, everything got better – warm and full of books, knowledge, language, travelling and laughter. A nice bed, daily chores, and company to talk to everyday.

What would life be like without that warmth? Jiji couldn't live forever. Nothing did. Still, Lavi pondered if there was a way to make Jiji live forever. He would trade his soul for that.

With his tall black boots successfully buckled, Lavi threw on his thick black and white coat. His tail twitched at being contained. With a deep breath, and tucking his ears as close to his skull as possible, Lavi threw himself out into the snowstorm.

Squinting through the oncoming white flakes, Lavi jogged to the back of the house and to the tiny blue shed they had. The wood he had chopped last summer was stored there, and Lavi hoped there was still enough to last through the winter. He didn't want to chop wood in the snow. Yuck.

With a squeak, the blue doors swung open to clang against the side of the shed. Lavi ducked in to avoid the snow and began scooping up large logs of firewood. He could already picture the warm fire –

Lavi's tail twitched again and the fur of his ears went stiff. Lavi froze, sensing eyes on him. Terrified, and knowing he had no weapon and knew none of the karate that Jiji did, Lavi swallowed his courage and threw his head up.

The shed was empty. Nothing but wood lay inside and no dark shadows seemed out of the place. He froze, still feeling uneasy. With his eyes still trained on the inside of the shed, he grabbed as much wood as he could, threw it up on his shoulder, and ran.

Safely inside the house, he dropped all the wood on the welcome rug and locked the door.

"Lavi! What are you doing? Did you just drop all the firewood?"

'Nothing Jiji! And yeah, my hands uhhh slipped."

"You left the shed open."

Lavi winced.  _Shoot._ He had forgotten to do that in his mild panic. He already knew that Jiji would order him back out again – the wood would get wet and snow-ridden if he didn't, and they wouldn't be able to burn it if that happened.

Jiji made a noise then. "Ahh. Never mind, looks like its been taken care of."

Lavi ears quirked in confusion. Had the wind done his job for him? He looked up, peering out the glass doors again.

He came face to face with a tanned man with bright golden eyes starring in at him.

Lavi screamed like a little girl (he would later blame it on his changing voice and puberty)

The stranger opened the door, holding up a hand innocently.

"Sorry querido, I didn't mean to startle you. Are you alright?" the man talked. His voice was smooth, and his eyes never left Lavi's face. The rabbit NECO felt like prey under those eyes. He scrambled back then realized that this man was in their house. Jiji was sick.

Lavi's single green eye turned steely. "Who are you and what are you doing in our home?"

The man gave a charming smile, dusting snow off his top hat and his jacket.

"I closed your shed for you. I noticed you left it open just as I was coming up to your home. I'm afraid I'm lost. I only meant to ask if you had a bed to spare for the night? I can pay you handsomely. If my presence makes you uncomfortable, I merely ask for some directions back to the nearest town. I took a country road and I got lost."

Jiji appeared at Lavi's elbow then, and the rabbit struggled between his desire not to disrespect his Master or order Jiji to sit back down before he caught a draft and got even sicker.

"Come in. You can stay in the guest bedroom next to Lavi."

The redhead's jaw dropped.  _WHAT! Jiji was putting this guy next to him?_

Lavi looked between the two, looking for any trace of recognition between them. He saw none – the man's smile was too polite and not near friendly enough. Jiji was steely eyed and walking tall, as if trying to appear more intimidating than he actually was.

"Take off your shoes, sir. Join me in the sitting room. Lavi will stoke the fire and we can all chat in there."

The man bowed lowly. "Thank you so much for your hospitality sir. You and your charming NECO."

Gold eyes looked at Lavi again, a warm glow in them. The rabbit glared back, refusing to let the intensity in those gold eyes make his ears flatten.

Jiji turned his back and lead the man out of the hall, leaving Lavi with the shoes and a floor littered with large logs of wood. It wasn't until later, much later that evening, that Lavi would realize that Jiji never asked the man to remove his coat or his top hat for a reason. Lavi would realize that for a man dressed in such fine clothes, he had not mentioned having a carriage and that his shoes were covered in dirt and snow.

Lavi would soon realize that Jiji had known along that this stranger at their door, Tyki Mikk, was a NECO in disguise. And as only Jiji's kind heart and sharp mind could catch, he knew that Tyki had come to them for a reason.

_**~~ FLASHBACK ~~** _

* * *

"Lavi?... Lavi?... Querido?"

The redhead's eyelashes fluttered, hearing his lover call him gently. Forcing his eyes open, Lavi realized it was dark, the stars glittering above them between the dark foliage of the trees above them.

Turning his head, Lavi spotted his wolf NECO had him wrapped in a tight embrace. Lavi closed his eyes and buried his head in his lover's shoulder again. He received a chuckle and a kiss to his hair, followed by a low talk of Portuguese in his ear.

Lavi tried to ignore the voice, the smell of Tyki's shirt, and just fall back asleep. It failed. He groaned, throwing his arms up and around Tyki's neck.

"If you're trying to turn me on by speaking Portuguese, its working."

He could feel Tyki grinning above him, and leaned up to kiss those smiling lips.

"Why is it so dark? Did I fall asleep?"

"Yes, querido. After we grabbed those cinnamon rolls and bread we found the river, remember?" Tyki jerked his head, and Lavi heard the running water now and could feel the moisture in the air.

"Ahh right," the redhead murmured, ears perking and flicking around in interest. "We all dipped in the river to get rid of our scent, well we bathed Allen anyway, and then had dinner, and you told me to take a nap while we waited for Allen to wake up and eat."

Tyki nodded. "I'm afraid I fell asleep too, Must've been more tired than I thought after carrying Allen's heavy, heavy body all the way here, all by myself,' he taunted.

"Heeyyyy, you said Allen was light!"

"Maybe, still, do I get a kiss as a reward?"

"Hmmm, you can get more than that as a reward if you'd like," Lavi purred, nipping at Tyki's throat. Tyki growled lowly, happily.

"My my, what has my little rabbit so excited? I usually have to grope you more than this to get you in the mood. If you're already horny that takes the fun out of my job."

Lavi felt Tyki kissing up his neck now. He leaned back, giving his lover more room.

"I was dreaming about the first time we met – at Panda Jiji's house, the snowstorm, you scaring the shit out of me when I saw you at the door."

Tyki chuckled, kissing his rabbit on the lips in apology. With a lick at his lips, Tyki ran a hand through vibrant red locks.

"What was your first thought when you saw me, querido?"

"….Hmm… I think it was 'Holy shit, there's a serial killer at the door'. I mean who else shows up at a cabin in the woods in the middle of a snowstorm?"

Tyki whined, and then kissed the redhead again. "Do you want to know mine, in all honesty?... I thought 'That is the most handsome boy I have ever met." You were stunning. Handsome and young and I knew I had to have you."

"I was 14, you pervert."

"Mmm-hmm, and I was 20, you sly rabbit. Mmm, seducing an older man, you should be ashamed you little vixen."

Tongues entered the play now, mouths glued together and hands wandering, both NECOs loosing themselves for a moment in the heat of a past memory.

After the parted, and before Tyki's hands wandered too far below his belt, Lavi cast a look over their surroundings to ensure Allen wouldn't be too scarred. Their bags lay at the base of a tree trunk and a collection of strewn clothes was where they had laid Allen to wake up.

But the rumpled padding of clothes was empty.

_Perfect,_  Lavi thought,  _looks like Tyki and I have some time to ourselves_. He grinned devilishly.

He turned back to Tyki, only to see that the Portuguese man was now looking around wildly, checking behind them, and peering off into the trees and back to the river.

"Hey, relax, looks like Allen is gone so we can have some time alone," Lavi purred.

"Did you see Allen?" Tyki snapped, eyes wide. Lavi's ears fell to his head and his eyes rose.

"What? No, didn't you see Allen before I woke up?"

"Allen was right there when I fell asleep beside you. I haven't seen him since. I woke up just a minute ago, querido. Didn't you see him when you woke up?"

Lavi felt his pulse quicken. "No, no… I just woke up now too."

"Fuck, the food is still there too. Allen didn't eat anything."

Lavi and Tyki shared a horrified look.

"Don't tell me Allen is missing. We're on the run from whitecoats, Yuu is God-knows-where, and there is human town behind us. Allen has to be here somewhere. He can't have run away to find Yuu, right? And he can't have been kidnapped! I mean, we would have been kidnapped too right? Maybe he just wandered off somewhere…. Right?... right?..."

Tyki said nothing, but Lavi could see the worry in his eyes

* * *

Yuu ran as fast as he could, branches whipping past his face as his feet pounded a hard rhythm into the earth. In zigzags and crosswire paths, he leapt over logs and pushed past the greenery as it became a game of dodging oncoming branches.

He ignored the way his chest was burning with every inhale, how his muscles were tight and trembling from running so fiercely, and the hot, sticky, wetness of blood running down his stomach.

It would heal soon enough. That was one good thing his genes had given him – a remarkably fast healing complex. Still, his other injuries had yet to fully heal, so his stomach would take longer than normal.

Those fucking scientists from the Rejection Center had actually sent a Fighter NECOs after them.

_Motherfuckers!_

Yuu was familiar with Fighter NECOs - they were NECOs who were designed and trained specifically for combat, often for military uses or just human entertainment depending in their breed. They were as normal in society as any other NECO.

Yet the ones Yuu had fought had been a hell of a lot stronger and a lot more savage than most.

Fighter NECOS were designed to be cold, impassive, and calm beings. They fought and killed because it was their duty, not because they liked it. It had been unnerving as hell to fight one again, especially since it had been years since Yuu had needed to and his skills were rusty. But Yuu had other priorities so he kept fighting, determined to end the brawl quickly so he could go and join his Moyashi.

The paleness of the moon through the trees ahead acted as the Japanese NECO's only real guideline in the blur of dark green, black, and brown as he dashed deeper into the woods. Yuu felt his chest constrict and he couched, feeling blood well up in his mouth and spill past his lips. He spat it out and kept running, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

He passed a strip of white cloth, a human marker for a hunting trail, and pushed onwards. He had seen Tyki and Lavi go this way, dragging Allen with them as they fled from the house.

Allen.

His Allen.

His precious moyashi.

He was – for once, Yuu admitted – glad Lavi had dragged the wolf-NECO into their home three years ago. The man was a pervert and a bastard, but he knew what was necessary to survive.

Yuu had seen through his peripherals how Lavi had tried to tell Allen to run away. The midnight-haired NECO had been both proud and pissed to see his mate shove Lavi and keep coming towards the house – towards the danger.

_Baka moyashi. He could've killed himself…_

It was the thought of Allen getting hurt, let alone killed, which had momentarily distracted Yuu during the fight. That had earned him a painful flight into the wall and a broken wrist.

When that happened, the stupid, loyal, moronic, beautiful, fucking idiotic moyashi had actually called out his name – Yuu. And in doing so, his moyashi had unknowingly drawn the attention of one of the Fighter NECOs that was sent to capture them.

Tyki had been the one to fucking take charge, Yuu saw, as the Portuguese man knocked the moyashi unconscious and then ran. Yuu was thankful to see that (though he would never admit it), because in doing that, Tyki had removed all the distractions from Yuu's mind so he could properly focus on the fight.

And hell, Yuu hadn't been the best Fighter NECO in Japan for nothing.

Yuu was the best - before his Master had sent him to the Rejection Center because the old bastard said he had 'anger and obedience issues.'

Che, Yuu would've showed the fucker 'anger and obedience issues' if he'd been given the chance. He was not some fucking toy that could be thrown into fights left and right just because his Master wanted some cash and to gain a fucking reputation for his fucking dirty human company.

Yuu had no Master and he obeyed no-one but himself.

Himself, and his moyashi -

Because he loved the boy.

Yuu would do anything for his moyashi's smile and to see those beautiful silver eyes to look at him with trust and love.  _Anything._

_Allen, I'm coming,_  Yuu swore.

Another bout of blood welled up in his throat, and Yuu spat it out on the forest floor, ears pinned to his skull as he stared at the next white marker up ahead. He took off running again, blurring his surroundings into another smudge of green, brown, and black, determined more than ever to get to his lover.


	12. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone

...

**Chapter 12: Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone**

...

* * *

 

It was a solid night before Yuu arrived at the river – tracking Lavi, Tyki and Allen's scent had been hard and he had been extremely careful he wasn't followed by whitecoats. The sun was beginning to rise, casting an orange glow over the land and painting the leaves gold in the light. He'd lost track of what time it was but knew hours and hours had passed.

Yuu knew he had found Lavi and Tyki when the rabbit's scent became so strong it was unbearable. Striding into the make-shift camp and making his own scent known, Yuu could see Lavi and Tyki ahead of him. His navy ears perking, Yuu heard Tyki mutter "fuck" under his breath. The cat NECO scoffed "Nice to see you too" as he drew closer.

Tyki and Lavi finally turned to face him, pain in their eyes. Yuu stilled, on high alert.

"What are you bakas looking at!? Get me some damn bandages and let's get a freaking move on. We can't stay here –"

"We can't find Allen" Tyki said solemnly, his voice devoid of emotion.

Yuu froze, his mind processing slowly.

"… ** _What._** "

Tyki did not repeat his words, knowing full well Yuu had heard him. Lavi's ears were pinned right back to his skull with shame and worry.

There was a moment of stalemate, of silence, of the air thick with tension, sorrow, and frustration becoming fury. Then Yuu dove at Tyki and pummelled him to the ground. He began cursing and punching the wolf NECO as hard as he could. Tyki did not fight back.

Yuu saw only red. Dark, bloody, furious red. It was minutes later he realized that Lavi was holding him back, yelling something in his ear. He fought against the strong arms holding him, eyes still furiously on the wolf NECO who was lying defenceless on the ground.

"WHERE IS ALLEN!? HOW COULD YOU FUCKERS LET HIM –!?"

"I'm sure he's –" Lavi began, but Tyki cut him off, still unmoving from where Yuu had tackled him.

"Lavi, let him go. He deserves to beat me… I let Allen slip away and despite us searching all night, we can't find him." Tyki sounded incredibly pained. "I'm so sorry, Yuu. I'm so so incredibly - "

"SORRY DOESN'T FIX ANYTHING! WHERE IS ALLEN!? HOW COULD YOU -!? IS HE -!?"

"I don't know."

"I'm so sorry, Yuu-chan… so sorry. We will find him though! I swear we will die trying."

Yuu couldn't speak, too many thoughts racing in his head, too many nightmares of what could possibly be happening to his beloved mate. Too many thoughts of hate that he had suddenly developed for Lavi and Tyki. He heaved with the force of simply breathing, trying not to explode from the inside out and scream in helplessness. Tyki said they had lost him overnight. His moyashi's scent was cold by now and if they couldn't find him then, there was no chance they would find him now.

… He feared his moyashi could be anywhere. And in the way of danger.

* * *

A few hours later, they had expanded their search from the forest and all sides of the river into searching the towns nearby. Tyki had donned his usual disguise but it was clear Yuu was the one guiding the way – shoving people aside, snarling furiously at anyone who got close, and pushing his way through crowds wherever he went. Tyki and Lavi followed close behind, Tyki doing his best to explain that Yuu was his NECO as they hurried to catch up to the Japanese youth.

Making themselves visible in the nearby towns was probably the most stupid thing they could've done - especially since they knew they were being hunted and their former home had been discovered. Still, when Yuu had ordered them to follow him and search the towns, the two lovers couldn't refuse. How could they? They had lost Yuu's mate and his most precious person, so they obeyed him with submissive nods.

Plus, all the attention Yuu was drawing to them – his growling, snarling and complete lack of blending-in was all but begging for them to get caught. Tyki feared that soon would become reality. Still, even if vans of whitecoats and fighter-NECOs had descended upon them, Yuu was full of so much pent up worry and was practically looking for a fight, the Tyki had no qualms Yuu would've beat them all bloody and still have more energy left in him.

Tyki and Lavi pushed by yet another crowd of on-lookers, muttering amongst themselves as they watched Yuu storm through the crowd, his eyes always seeking his mate.

"Sorry!" Lavi apologized as he bumped into a woman. 'The angry one's with us! Just trying to find his uhh… brother! Cute kid with white hair and a red scar –"

"Not one shaped like a pentacle?" A man suddenly piped up from behind the woman. Lavi's ears perked in hope, and even though his single green eye was on the man, the redhead could /feel/ Yuu stopping in his tracks and suddenly glaring back at the stranger.

"W-wait yes! Yes that's him. Cat NECO? Have you seen him!? Please tell me you have – he went missing earlier."

Yuu was at their side in an instant, his pupils slit and the blue of his eyes glinting like steel. The man cast a nervous glance at the Japanese teen, starting to back away in fear.

Tyki, luckily, swooped in to save the situation just as Yuu bared his fangs.

"Ahhh! That's enough my pet" Tyki hissed with a smile at Yuu. "I'll question this kind man. We wouldn't want you to  _scare him off_  when he has seen our most  _precious friend_."

Yuu's piercing eyes never left the man, though he did snap his mouth shut with a growl.

Tyki adjusted his top hat and gave a charming smile. "So you have seen the boy? Please pray-tell where and when. He is mine–"

Yuu hissed furiously and cursed in Japanese, turning his venomous glare on to Tyki now. Lavi tried to shrug and laugh it off as the stranger looked to him for an explanation.

"I'm that NECO's owner and I would very much like him back after he went missing this motrning!" Tyki hurried, fearing Yuu's patience would run out. The stranger's eyes brightened at this.

"Ohh! So the boy does have a Master, eh?" he said.

"Yes, yes he does!" Tyki quipped, worry growing in him. "You saw this boy and someone thought he had no Master? Did someone take him!?"

The man gave him an apologetic look. "Aye. Someone found the boy wandering around and wanted to take him home."

All three NECOs tensed in horror as the man continued.

"But I mean, being a free NECO in this part of town was absurd. Why would any NECO be so stupid? So the man who found him thought he had to be a NECO slave who had gotten free. He took 'em to the slave owner."

"WHERE!?" Tyki, Lavi and Yuu all snapped in a panic, eyes wide.

The man shook his head, giving them another apologetic look.

"It won't do you any good to look. The boy was given to the slave trader and sold off this morning. Nobody knew he had an owner! I'm sorry lads. I was at the auction myself – looking for someone to help out around the house and with work – and I saw the boy get auctioned off. He fetched a hefty price too – rare you see one with white hair that young."

Tyki felt his heart shatter.

... Allen had been sold.

* * *

Allen stepped out of the carriage, following his new Master with a terrified jolt of panic. His hands clinked in the handcuffs that had been thrown on him before the auction. His feet had been chained too so he could not run. His white ears lay flat, his tail was curled under him, and his eyes were wide with fear. The man had not tried to hurt him yet –  _yet,_  being the key word, Allen thought – and Allen couldn't figure out why.

Was this man acting polite to try and win Allen's trust? Just to look like a good Master in public? What did he want Allen for!? The silver-haired NECO couldn't read this stranger's intentions – but he was human and had bought Allen. He was dangerous.

But more than that, Allen had let himself get caught and auctioned off. He had never felt so stupid in his life! He had wandered off from Yuu, Lavi and Tyki and now – now –

_All I want is to go home, to be free. Please, someone, anyone, help me! Please!_

The thought brought tears to his eyes and combined with the panic in his chest, he wanted to curl up and cry on the floor.

_No! No no, I have to be strong. I'll escape! Just like I did with Yuu at the Rejection Center. I have to… I have to if I want to see everyone again…_

The sun was blinding as the cat NECO looked ahead of himself through a pale curtain of hair. A large, gothic mansion lay before him in the afternoon sun, the black stones wavering in the heat. The fast pounding of his heart was the only things he could hear, despite that the stranger who now owned him was saying something and waving him inside. Allen followed cautiously, not sure of what else to do.

Once inside, away from the heat, the stranger brought him into a well-decorated living room with air conditioning. He gently guided Allen to a large chair and then – to Allen's suspicion – unlocked the handcuffs and bindings on his feet that chained him.

Allen again, questioned the man's intentions, and felt his heart-rate spike as a result.

The stranger, Allen noticed as he broke off the chains, was tall and built, with a mess of chocolate-brown hair and tanned skin and stubble lining his face. He looked older than Tyki. Allen noted, and had somewhat the same skin colour too.

The man looked up and smiled at Allen then, catching him off guard. Allen's ears and tail went rigid in surprise and all he could do was stare back at the stranger in panic.

The man's face creased with worry at seeing this expression, and he raised a hand to touch Allen's cheek, shushing him softly. Allen flinched back and bolted across the room before the man could touch him, tail thrashing wildly.

The man looked surprised, but gave a little laugh then stood up and moved towards Allen again. Allen hissed this time, glaring in warning that he would not allow himself to be touched.

The man stopped now, a puzzled look on his face.

"Easy now… Don't you know who I am?"

He shifted ever so slightly towards the NECO again and Allen flinched back, yowling warningly and hissing again with even more volume. This seemed to catch the man off-guard as he suddenly froze in place, an eerie stillness overtaking his form. NECO and human starred at each with eyes wide, unblinking.

Finally the man stepped back, determination steeling his gaze.

"Well, young NECO, my name is Adam. You may call me The Millennium Earl. I'll be looking after you from this point onwards."


	13. All of Me

…

**Chapter 13: All of Me**

…

Yuu became deadly – he became reckless and desperate and absolutely furious upon learning Allen had been sold. All logic and reason left him.

Tyki and Lavi tried to hold him back but Yuu bolted off the moment he heard that Allen had been sold as a NECO slave. He ran towards the auction house faster than Lavi had ever seen. Lavi bolted after him and Tyki arrived shortly afterwards at the auction house, all pretense of a Master and his NECOs lost in the panic.

By the time Tyki found the other two, Yuu was beating the auctioneer bloody and Lavi was barely restraining him. Tyki immediately dove in to help restrain the cat NECO, whose eyes were near black as he snarled and clawed at the helpless man.

The auctioneer was all but crying, his voice cracking and his bloodied arms shielding his trembling lips as he spoke.

"14140 Genesis Ave! - Oh god, please I swear all I know is 14140 Genesis was the address the carriage went to with the white-haired NECO! -"

Yuu suddenly lunged forward towards the man, almost breaking free of his friends' grip, and the auctioneer shrieked again and began crying out for mercy.

" _Where is he!?"_ Yuu bellowed. _"Where is that place!?"_

"Yuu!" Lavi tried to rationalize with his friend. His only reward was another bloodthirsty snarl and Yuu struggling to escape the hold he and Tyki had on him.

"Th-the east! The house is due east of here somewhere, but I swear to god I don't know anything else! It's –"

Yuu violently and suddenly drove his elbows into Tyki and Lavi's abdomens.

Hissing, Tyki released Yuu for only a moment – the same moment Lavi did – and Yuu was shoving past them in a blind run both before they could inhale to call out for him to stop.

"Fuck" Tyki muttered. The auctioneer continued to tremble at their feet and Lavi clicked his tongue against his teeth.

"Do we go after him?" Lavi muttered, looking to his mate. His long rabbit-ears twitched as a thousand thoughts flooded his mind. "You're strong enough to hold him down if we catch him again, but even if I run to catch him there's no telling what will happen… I've never seen Yuu like this…"

"I know, querido… I know…" Tyki's bit his lower lip, lost as to what to do. Silence stretched between them as an uncomfortable question came between them.

"I think it's best we follow behind him at a safe distance" Lavi finally confessed, breaking the silence and beginning to jog out of the auction house. Tyki followed him, nodding in agreement. "We can track his scent and avoid him mauling us this way as well. Yuu's desperate to find Allen right now and he's dangerous when he's mad. I really don't think we don't have another choice."

Tyki nodded his consent, knowing his lover was right. Any other option would just result in them getting hurt alongside anyone else who got in Yuu's way. Tyki inhaled sharply through his nose, gold eyes narrowing as he caught the Japanese teen's scent.

"Let's go, querido"

"I really hope Yuu finds Allen before he tears this whole town apart… or I don't know what will happen next…"

* * *

Yuu arrived at 14140 Genesis Ave and ripped down the door. Literally.

A flurry of maids screamed as the door broke off its hinges and a snarling, dark-haired NECO landed on all fours in the entryway. Feral and single-minded on finding his mate, Yuu went speeding down the halls, throwing himself into every room along the way. If he could not see or hear Allen, his claws marked his frustration two-inches deep into the ornante walls.

"Moyashi!" Yuu called, moving desperately, blindly through the house. He sped past more hallways and more ornate doorways, more screaming maids and more empty rooms, constantly looking for a sign or a sound of his precious mate.

"Moyashi!" he yelled again, fierce and determined not to leave until he found his mate. "MOYASHI!"

"- Yuu?" came a soft voice from down the hall.

Yuu took off in a blur of motion, breaking open the door and diving into the room on all fours, fangs bared and eyes narrowed to slits. The room was cool, festive and it smelled far too sweet for Yuu's taste. But his eyes caught sight of his lover, his Moyashi, and suddenly all his senses narrowed to focus on him.

Allen sat in a fancy chair turned to face an adjacent wall and an adjacent chair. His silver eyes went wide and a brilliant smile lit up his face -

Yuu ignored everything else upon seeing his silver-haired mate. He leapt at Allen, sweeping him into his arms.

As soon as he did so, the Japanese teen caught the scent of a foreigner and he whirled in a single, fluid motion to tuck his Moyashi into a corner and assumed a threatening stance again.

He glared darkly at the human on the other side of the room, whose eyes were wide and blinking at him slowly. Yuu snarled at him.

Yuu had his Moyashi again – nothing else mattered. He'd kill if he had to escape this room and take his mate far far away from this bastard who had stolen him. uu's eyes gained a tint of black, bloodlust and desire to escape making his heart pound. He wanted to run away with Allen in his arms, after he'd been gone a whole day it had been terrifying to think Allen had been hurt and now his Moyashi was safe, and all Yuu wanted was to protect and fight and the urge was overwhelming –

"Yuu, Yuu stop! Stop it's okay!" Allen's voice brought him back to reality. It broke through his angry haze and he realized his mate had his arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Allen was holding him back, trying to stop him from becoming violent.

Confused, but none-the-less threatened, Yuu continued to growl and didn't move from his feral position. Still, his dark ears twitched towards his lover's voice as his blue eyes remained unmoving on the human stranger in the corner.

Behind his back, Allen tried to wriggle out of his mate's hold, but was held fast by an iron grip that he knew Yuu wouldn't let him escape from.

"Yuu," he crooned, rubbing his lover's back and trying to calm him – to tell him that things truly were okay. He kissed Yuu's cheek, but nothing in his mate changed. "Yuu" he called again. "It's okay really. I want you to believe me."

Midnight-blue ears twitched.

"Yuu, this is Adam. He is Mana's brother! Do you remember me telling you about Mana? About my Papa?"

Allen kissed his lover's cheek again, purring low and soft. This time, he felt the muscles in Yuu's back shift. Yuu's posture rose, just slightly, and Allen breathed a sigh of relief. He knew his mate wouldn't attack Adam blindly now that he knew that he was Mana's brother.

"Yuu, Adam saved me. I'm so sorry I wandered away from Lavi and Tyki. After I got captured, I was so scared Yuu. So so scared – but Adam saved me, just like Mana did! Yuu, he bought me when the slave owners tried to auction me away. "

From the other side of the room, Adam cleared his throat gently. "I recognized your dear Allen the moment I saw him."

Yuu growled at that, causing Adam to throw his hands up in defence. Nonetheless, Adam laughed. "My my, your mate is even more feisty than you mentioned, Allen."

Allen stroked his lover's sides again, trying to calm him and smiling up at him in hopes it would ease his mate's temper." Mana talked about me to Adam all the time, Yuu. He told him all about me."

"The moment I saw your white hair and your scar, dear boy, I knew you were Mana's. There could never have been another. I only thank God I was in town when that auction was taking place and that I managed to have enough money on me to buy you."

"So you purposefully went into town looking to buy a slave?" Yuu snarled.  _Dirty human._

"Oh no! Not at all." Adam's eyes gained a steely tint. "Let's be straightforward, shall we? - I know you don't trust me, boy. You have every right not to, but for heaven's sake stop glaring at me like I'm evil. I saved your mate, I have fed him and clothed him and I mean you no harm."

Yuu made no response, his eyes still narrowed to slits. Adam sighed heavily.

"Well I can see you refuse to listen to reason in your current state. I meant to offer to you and you mate a home here –"

"We have a home," Yuu's voice left no room for bargaining. "We don't need your fucking pity. Now let him go or I'll leave you bloody and bruised before I take him."

Adam rolled his eyes, sparking Yuu to growl threateningly again. Adam merely sighed again, looking to the silver-NECO held tight against his mate's chest.

"You may go, Allen. I never intended to keep you against your will. Still, Allen my dear boy, if you ever are in trouble again feel free to call me. Mana loved you more than anything and I loved Mana the same way. If you need me to, I'll act as your Master –"

Yuu hissed in disgust.

"—I'll shelter you, and give you whatever I can. I swear it. The same offer applies to your mate and your friends, should they need assistance as well."

"Thank you," Allen responded, smiling. Yuu clutched him tighter to his chest.

After a tense moment, glances exchanged and a thick silence suffocating the room, Adam motioned that they could go. Yuu took his mate firmly by the hand and hurried them both out of the elegant house. His grip was hard as steel as he dragged Allen out into the sunlight and forced them both into a run.

The silver-haired NECO kept stride with his taller counterpart, biting his bottom lip between his teeth at leaving Adam's house so abruptly. He hadn't even been able to say thank you properly.

"Yuu, Adam isn't bad. I promise."

"Che! Moyashi, you're naive. Humans are nothing but trouble. He's using Mana against you!"

"But Yuu – "

"No, Moyashi!"

Yuu's voice left no room for further discussion. Allen submitted, knowing he had already caused his mate so much worry and heartache to dare bring up the subject again.

* * *

Yuu ran with his mate out of the town and didn't speak a word. He kept his solid grip on Allen's wrist and refused to let go. Despite not speaking after leaving Adam's house, the line of Yuu's tense shoulders and the downturn of his mouth told Allen all he needed to know.

Yuu dragged him, refusing to stop for anything, into a secluded area of forest – far from their original home and far from human contact.

Suddenly, Yuu released him and whirled around to face his mate.

"Why on earth would you be so stupid to wander off alone!?" Yuu barked, his voice louder than it had ever been with his mate. Allen's ears flew back against his skull. "What the hell did you think you were doing Moyashi!? How could you be so stupid!? – You could've died! You were sold as a fucking slave and I had no idea where you were or how to save you! You are so -! So - ! ARRRRGHHHHH!"

Yuu let out a roar, unable to form words, and glared darkly at his mate.

Silence, thick as blood, filled the air. Neither NECO spoke, simply stared at each other – Yuu panting heavily and his eyes unrelentingly focused on Allen, whose pale ears were pinned back and his eyes wide.

Allen looked away then, shame painting his face, and swallowed hard. He tried to form words but failed multiple times upon thinking of what he had done to Yuu.

Yuu felt contrasting feelings fill his chest as he continued to stare at his silver-eared lover. His instincts screaming  _'Your mate needs you. He is sad and ashamed and needs comfort. Go to him. Soothe him'_ but his anger was over-powering as well.

Yuu huffed air out of his nostrils then ordered out for Allen to look him in the eye again. He repeated the demand more firmly when Allen tried to avoid doing so.

Silver eyes met navy blue. One hesitant and scared, the other filled with anger and concern. Finally, ensuring his mate wouldn't look away, Yuu let his emotions show in a rare display.

His navy ears flew back, his own tail flicking at the air in rapid moves, as if batting away an unseen enemy.

"Moyashi… Allen… do you have any idea how scared you made me? I was so scared I had lost you."

His voice was low, quiet. Allen's eyes widened at the words, guilt filling his chest and his ears perking at the sound.

"Yuu, I'm so sorr – "

"Sorry doesn't change what you did, Moyashi."

Allen's ears flew back again. Yuu's words were harsh in their honesty.

"All I want in life is for you to be safe, Moyashi. I love you – Why would you wander off on your own? Why would you risk losing me and getting hurt? … I would've died if anything had happened to you…"

The very thought of Yuu dying filled Allen with a cold, gripping fear. He ran forward, pulling Yuu into his arms and looping their tails tightly – silver and navy in an unbreakable bond.

"Yuu! Please don't ever hurt yourself or want to die. You mean the world to me! Please, please – I'm so sorry! Forgive me. I swear I'll never do it again - just stay safe! As long as you're safe I'll always be alright, Yuu… Yuuuuu…" Tears filled Allen's eyes. "I'm so sorry. Please Yuu, I need you. Please don't ever stop loving me and don't leave me."

Yuu buried his face in his mate's hair, yet said nothing. Allen could hear his mate's heart pounding hard beneath his chest. More guilt welled up in him.

_Oh God, I really scared him... I actually scared Yuu… And Yuu isn't scared of anything…_

Allen tightened his arms around Yuu's waist, murmuring into his chest  _'I'm sorry'_  like it was a prayer.

"… town to get … gift …" Allen mewled.

"Speak up" Yuu ordered. Allen fidgeted uncomfortably, yet looked straight up into his lover's eyes.

"I left Lavi and Tyki - it was stupid and I swear I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you! – but I did it so I could get an anniversary gift for you."

Yuu's eyes widened, not expecting those words.

"After Rhode and the others ate your cake, and I put on the bracelet you gave me yesterday, I wanted to do something special for you. You've loved me, protected me and been perfect to me for so long. I truly am the luckiest NECO alive to have Yuu… I love you with all of my heart…"

Allen smiled up at him timidly.

"I wanted to get you something special – something that showed you that I always want to be yours and you to be mine. Forever. So I went and stole something – the same way you stole me this diamond bracelet the day after we escaped. So…"

Allen hesitated, then leaned up to kiss his lover's lips gently, apologetically. "Happy anniversary, Yuu. I love you and I always will. You're the perfect mate."

His voice was soft and loving. Sincere.

Then Allen pulled a stunning sapphire bracelet out of his pant pocket.

The dark, glittering blue stones shone in the sunlight, blue reflections dancing across the grass around them. A flawless silver metal, swirled in a simple pattern, surrounded each gem and highlighted the stunning colour even more.

Yuu's eyes widened again at the sight, his ears perked to their full height. Yuu looked between the bracelet and his lover's silver eyes. He saw so much love and trust in those eyes… his beloved Moyashi… his perfect, precious mate…

Then Yuu smacked his lover hard on the head.

"Oww!" Allen cringed, right before he was pulled against a warm, strong chest.

"You fucking idiot," Yuu hissed, tightening his hold to the point of pain. He nuzzled Allen's cheeks, rubbed their tails, and then bit him harshly on the neck.

Allen yelped in pain and submitted immediately, Yuu's sharp fangs and strong arms forcing him to his knees before his mate. Yuu knocked the silver-NECO's feet out from under him, the bracelet went flying into the grass, and before Allen could blink Yuu had him pinned to the earthy ground below.

Strong, steely blue eyes glared down at him. "You fucking idiot," Yuu repeated, still hissing. Allen swallowed hard, eyes flickering over his mate's face for any indication of what was going on.

Yuu leaned down til they were nose-to-nose. Allen offered his neck and his ears flattened in submission. Yuu growled in acceptance, then gently bit his lover's ear. Allen yelped again.

Yuu forced them nose-to-nose again, their eyes locked on each other.

"Moyashi, the only gift I ever want is you." Yuu kissed him then, hard and firm and passionate and desperate – then it was gone as quickly as it had come. Allen blinked, dazed, until Yuu's firm hand brought them nose-to-nose again.

"Listen! I want you safe, happy, and by my side always," Yuu growled, though there was no menace in the rumble of his chest. "If you thought risking your safety, risking being caught and losing me forever was worth some damn bracelet – I'm going to punish you until you learn your damn lesson. You're right, you will spend the rest of your life making this up to me, because I'm going to spend the rest of my life teaching you that all I want is you – no gifts, no cakes, no putting yourself in danger ever again."

"Yuu –" Allen began, breathless with happiness and apologies. Yuu just bit his nose, making him cry out yet again, then bit his neck hard until Allen yielded and submitted to him again.

Yuu soothed the bites with a kiss and lick, muttering curses into his neck.

"Baka moyashi… worried me to death… fucking idiot… I'm never letting you leave my side again… fucking bracelet…"

Allen laughed softly and wrapped his arms tight around his lover. Yuu let his full weight fall atop his mate, burying his nose in white hair and alternating between biting his neck and kissing him, cursing him and muttering that he was safe now.

Allen let him do as he pleased, taking the pain and the pleasure afterwards. He ran his small hands through the long mane of Yuu's hair, the strands sliding between his fingers like silk. He purred chest-to-chest with his mate and entwined their tails again.

"Baka moyashi!"

"I'm sorry, Yuu. I love you too."

Allen felt tears well up in his eyes – a mixture of relief and realization of just how badly things could've been. He continued stroking his hands through his lover's long, dark hair.

Yuu's harsh bites, kisses, and complaints merely continued.

Allen kissed his skin wherever he could reach, and knew he was forgiven.

* * *

By the time Tyki and Lavi found them both, Allen was covered in bites and smiling ear-to-ear, Yuu's arms wrapped impossibly tight around him.

Lavi promptly burst into tears and threw himself on top of the two lovers. He kept trying to hold Allen in his own arms only to have Yuu constantly smack him away and hiss protectively.

Seeing them, Tyki's whole body dropped in relief as he saw the others in a pile of limbs and Allen's beaming face looking at him. Smiling softly, thanking heaven, he placed a large tanned hand on his mate's red hair, petting him to soothe his tears. The other large tanned hand went to Allen's white hair, which he ruffled firmly to reassure himself Allen was with them again.

Yuu, naturally, smacked at their hands and hissed increasingly threatening curses at Tyki and Lavi to stop touching his lover.

Tyki and Lavi, naturally, ignored Yuu completely and cuddled the two cat NECOs until they could barely breathe.

They had lost all their supplies in the panic of finding Allen. They had lost their home to white coats, who were no doubt still somewhere out-there in search of them.

But none of that mattered –

They were all safe, with their mates, and reunited again.


End file.
